Francis Yao Asare

Francis Yao Asare
Volta Regional Minister
In office 1 July 1960 – 1961
President	Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	Ferdinand Koblavi Dra Goka
Succeeded by	Hans Kofi Boni
Minister for Food and Agriculture[1]
In office 1957–1960
President	Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	Kojo Botsio
Succeeded by	Boahene Yeboah-Afari
Minister of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare
In office 1957–1957
Member of Parliament for Buem[2]
In office 1951–1965
President	Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	Eric Kwame Heymann
Personal details
Born	Francis Yao Asare 1915? Borada, Southern Togoland
Died	7 January 2004
Citizenship	Ghanaian
Alma mater	Mfantsipim School

Francis Yao Asare was a Ghanaian pharmacist and politician. He served on various ministerial portfolios and served as a member of parliament for the Buem constituency during the first republic.

Early life and education

Francis was born in Baroda in Southern Togoland. He was educated at Presbyterian School in Anum Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast.[3]

Career and politics

He trained as a druggist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and worked as a pharmacist for the Ghana Civil Service from 1940 to 1947. He served on Buem Krachi Native Authority, Southern Togoland Council and was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing Buem in 1951.[4][5] That same year, he was appointed Ministerial Secretary (deputy minister) for the Ministry of Housing.[6] He was later appointed Minister of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare and acting Minister for Communications. In 1957 he was appointed Minister for Food and Agriculture.[7] He worked in that capacity until June 1960. On 1 July 1960 he was appointed Commissioner (Regional Minister) for the Volta Region. He served in this capacity until 1961. He later became Chairman of the National Food and Nutrition Board.[3][8] He was re-elected to represent the Buem constituency in subsequent years until 1965 when he was sentenced to twenty-one years imprisonment on charges of the defrauding the government an amount of over £1 million.[9][10] After the overthrow of the Nkrumah government Francis went into fishing and was made president of the National Inshore Boat Owners Association.[8]

Death

Francis died on 7 January 2004 at the age of 88. He was buried in his hometown; Buem.[8]

References

1. "The British Commonwealth Year Book". MacGibbon and Kee. 1953: 214. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. "Parliamentary Debates; National Assembly Official Report". Accra, Government printing department. 1961. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. "The International Who's Who". Europa publishers. 1961: 37. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. "Ghana Year Book 1964". Daily Graphic: 27. 1964.
5. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, part 1". Ghana National Assembly. 1963: 1028. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. "Debates". Gold Coast Legislative Assembly. 1956. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "Ghana Today, Volumes 1–2". Information Section, Ghana Office. 1957: 3. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. Ghanaweb,"Ghana Minister buried", Ghanaweb, 29 March 2004.
9. "Africa Digest, Volume 13–14". Africa Publications Trust. 1965: 16. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
10. Asamoah, Obed (2014). The Political History of Ghana (1950–2013): The Experience of a Non-Conformist. p. 66. ISBN 9781496985637.