President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has led tributes to the former Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who passed away Friday morning.
“He has been a longstanding public servant, who discharged his duties with dignity. The news of his death is unfortunate,” the President said in a statement.
Reports indicate that the former Veep collapsed at the Airforce Gym on Friday morning during a workout session.
He was later rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he died.
President Akufo-Addo extended his condolences to late Amissah-Arthur’s family as well as the National Democratic Congress.
“My thoughts and sympathies are with his wife, children and family. I extend my deepest condolences to them, and also to the former President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and to the National Democratic Congress, of which the former Vice President was a prominent member. Ghana has lost a fine public servant.”
Before becoming Veep in August 2012, Amissah-Arthur, a respected economist, was the Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 2009 to 2012.
From 1983 to 1986, Amissah-Arthur served as a special assistant to the Secretary of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwesi Botchwey under the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) government.
He also served as the Deputy Secretary for Finance in the PNDC government from February 1986 to March 1993.
From April 1993, he continued as the Deputy Minister for Finance in the under the Fourth Republic’s first government until March 1997.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur, 67, was appointed as Governor of the Bank of Ghana in October 2009 by then-President John Atta Mills.
He held that position until August 6 2012, when he became Vice-President of Ghana following the death of Atta Mills.
He was survived by a wife and two children.
-Citinewsroom.com