Ato Austin

Ato Austin
Central Regional Secretary
In office 1988–1993
President	Jerry Rawlings
Secretary for Youth and Sports
In office 1986–1988
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	Amarkai Amarteifio
Succeeded by	K. Saarah Mensah
Secretary for Labour and Social Welfare
In office 1983–1986
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	Adisa Munkaila
Succeeded by	George Adamu
Secretary for Information
In office 1982–1983
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	John S. Nabila
Succeeded by	Joyce Aryee
Personal details
Died	1998 London
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	People's National Party

Ato Austin was a Ghanaian politician. He was a member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military government which ruled after the overthrow of the Limann government in December 1981. He held various portfolios in the government led by Jerry Rawlings.

Politics

Ato Austin was the Secretary-General of the Youth Wing of the People's National Party (PNP) before going into government.[1] After the PNDC was formed, Austin was among several student leaders and activists who were given appointments at various levels in Ghana.[2] Austin was initially appointed the Secretary for Information in January 1982.[3] Kwame Karikari, a former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation which runs GTV disclosed how he lobbied Austin as Secretary for Information and Rawlings leading to the country seeking a grant from Japan for the switch to colour TV transmission in Ghana from 1985.[4]

Following a reshuffle in 1983, Austin was appointed Secretary for Labour and Social Welfare[5][6] Later in September 1982, he gave assurances that the Public Tribunals created by the PNDC government would not use "unorthodox" measures in their functions.[7]

Austin served as Secretary for Youth and Sports between 1986 and 1988.[8]

He also served as Central Regional secretary under Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.[9][10][11] He is credited to have inspired the creation of walkways for tourism purposes in the region such as the Kakum National Park among others after a visit to Malaysia where he saw canopy walkway.[12][13]

Awards

• Osabarimba Royal Award (posthumous) for services as former Central Regional Secretary[14]

Death

Austin died in London in December 1998.[15]

See also

• Provisional National Defence Council

References

1. Asamoah, Obed Y. (2014). "5: From Revolution To Constitutionalism PNDC Era To Fourth Republic". The political history of Ghana (1950-2013) : the experience of a non-conformist. Bloomington, IN. ISBN 978-1496985620.
2. Asiedu-Acquah, Emmanuel (May 2015). ""And still the Youth are coming": Youth and popular politics in Ghana, c 1900-1979" (pdf). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. p. 218. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
3. "Civilians appointed to fill cabinet posts". Google books. 11 (1). Embassy of Ghana: 3. 1979. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
4. "How Ghana switched to colour TV in 1985 with Japanese grant". GhanaWeb. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
5. "PNDC makes 6 cabinet changes". Ghana News. 12 (6). Washington DC: Embassy of Ghana: 6. June 1983. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
6. Konings, P. "The State and the Defence Committees in the Ghanaian Revolution, 1981-1984" (pdf). Leiden University. p. 279. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
7. "Ghana: Revolutionary Injustice" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 31 January 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
8. "LIST OF MINISTERS". Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ghana. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
9. Mensah, James (10 April 1991). Clegg, Sam (ed.). "'Co-ordinate Efforts At Health Delivery'". People's Daily Graphic (12557). Accra: Graphic Communications Group.
10. "Oguaa hosts maiden Osabarimba Royal Awards". GhanaWeb. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
11. "Remembering a daring deed". Graphic Online. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
12. "Here is Kenneth Asare, the man who built all the canopy walkways in Ghana". GHSPLASH. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
13. "This Ghanaian is making it possible for people to walk in the 'sky' with his famed canopy walkways". Face2Face Africa. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
14. "Oguaa Traditional Area honours indigens contributing to develpment [sic]". MyJoyonline. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
15. "Ghana: Transitions in 1998(Independent (Accra))". allafrica. Retrieved 3 October 2021.