Courage Quashigah
{{Short description|Ghanaian soldier and politician}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
|honorific-prefix = Major
|name = Courage Quashigah
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|office = Minister for Health
|term_start = January 2005
|term_end = January 2009
|president = John Kufuor
|predecessor = Dr. Kwaku Afriyie
|successor = Dr. George Sipa-Adjah Yankey
|order2 =
|office2 = Minister for Agriculture
|term_start2 = January 2001
|term_end2 = January 2005
|president2 = John Kufuor
|predecessor2 = Ibrahim Issaka Adam
|successor2 = Ernest Akubuor Debrah
|constituency2 =
|majority2 =
|birth_date = 9 September 1947
|birth_place = Kedzi, Ghana
|death_date = {{death date and age|2010|01|05|1947|09|09|df=yes}}
|death_place = Israel
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|nationality = Ghanaian
|party = New Patriotic Party
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|occupation = Politician
|profession = Army officer
|cabinet =
|committees = Member of Police Council
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|allegiance = Ghana
|branch = Ghana army
|serviceyears = 1972 - 1992
|rank = Major
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|awards = Order of the Star of Volta
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Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah (9 September 1947 – 5 January 2010) was a Ghanaian soldier and politician. He held many prominent positions in the Ghana Armed Forces and was a Minister of State for Agriculture and later Health in the NPP government of John Kufuor between 2001 and 2009. He also has a daughter called Rosalind Eleazar who is a British actress.
Early life and education
Quashigah was born at Kedzi in the Volta Region of Ghana. He had his secondary and sixth form education at the Keta Secondary School also in the Volta Region. He gained his GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level certificates there. He proceeded to the United Kingdom where he studied at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He qualified with a Diploma in Economics, War studies and Communication studies. He was awarded the Cane and Certificate of Honour as Best Overseas Cadet and Highest in the Order of Merit at Sandhurst.
Military career
Quashigah served as an Intelligence officer at the headquarters of the Second Infantry Brigade of the Ghana Army based at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He was a Platoon Commander/Instructor at Junior Leaders Company, a.k.a. Boys Company in Kumasi. He then became the Chief Instructor at the Jungle Warfare School at Akyease, in the Eastern Region. Other positions later held by him include Commanding Officer of the Ghana Military Police and Commanding Officer of the Forces Reserve Battalion. He has also served as a Director at the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie, a suburb of Accra. Quashigah distinguished himself in various fields in the army. After serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, he won a Commendation for Efficient and Effective Command.
Politics
During the military rule of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), he was the Chief Operations Officer at the (PNDC) Headquarters, Gonjar Barracks, Burma Camp, Accra. He has also served as a Member of the Police Council of Ghana. Quashigah was formerly a close ally of Jerry Rawlings, Head of state of Ghana and chairman of the PNDC.{{cite web |url=http://www.country-studies.com/ghana/charting-the-political-transition.html |title=Country studies: Charting the Political Transition |accessdate=2010-01-06 |publisher=Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress}} On September 24, 1989, Quashigah and four others were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the PNDC government.{{cite web |url=http://www.photius.com/countries/ghana/national_security/ghana_national_security_the_1981_coup_and_th~152.html |title=The 1981 Coup and the Second Rawlings Government |accessdate=2010-01-06 |work=Ghana National Security profile |publisher=www.theodora.com}} He was finally released in 1992.{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/NWS11/013/1992/en |title=WEEKLY UPDATE SERVICE 13/92 (INCLUDES ADDITION) |accessdate=2010-01-06 |date=1 April 1992 |publisher=Amnesty International}} In 1998, he became the national organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).{{cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=174683 |title=Quashigah is dead |accessdate=2010-01-06 |work=General News of Tuesday, 5 January 2010 |publisher=Ghana Home Page}} After the NPP formed a government in January 2001, Quashigah was appointed Minister of Agriculture.{{cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=13359 |title= Eleven Ministers Sworn-in |accessdate=2010-01-06 |work=General News of Friday, 2 February 2001 |publisher=Ghana Home Page}} He was appointed Health Minister after a cabinet reshuffle in 2005 after President Kufuor had been re-elected in the December 2004 presidential election.{{cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=74556 |title=Twenty-nine Ministers sworn into office |accessdate=2010-01-06 |work=General News of Wednesday, 2 February 2005 |publisher=Ghana Home Page}} Whilst serving as minister of Health, Quashigah received notable recognition for outstanding contribution towards initiating a national health education on healthy lifestyle living and nutrition in Ghana. His efforts was successful as the Africa Union adopted and called on member states to declare the last Friday of each year as Africa's Healthy Lifestyles Day. Quashigah was named best health Minister in Africa by the Country Awards Council Ghana.{{Cite web|url=http://www.modernghana.com/news/210255/1/ghanas-former-minister-major-quashigah-named-for-a.html|title=Ghana's Former Minister Major Quashigah Named for Africa's Best Health Minister Award}}
Personal life
He was married to Gertrude Quashigah, the CEO of Ambar Quality Foods Limited and the National Coordinator of the School Feeding Program.{{Cite web|title=Dismissal of School Feeding Programme boss an 'administrative error' – Adwoa Safo|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/sacking-of-school-feeding-programme-boss-an-administrative-error-adwoa-safo.html|access-date=2021-05-22|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}}
Death and burial
Quashigah traveled to Israel during a short illness for some public engagements and to seek medical attention but died during his trip.{{cite news|url=http://www.graphicghana.com/news/page.php?news=5918|title=Courage Quashigah Is Dead|accessdate=2010-01-07|publisher=Daily Graphic Online|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419020859/http://www.graphicghana.com/news/page.php?news=5918|archive-date=2012-04-19|url-status=dead}} His body was repatriated to Ghana.{{cite web |title=Quashigah's body arrives today |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Quashigah-s-body-arrives-today-174776 |website=ghanaweb.com |access-date=18 December 2024 |date=7 January 2010}} He was buried at the family cemetery at Kedzi near Keta on 20 March 2010.{{cite web |title=Major Quashigah to be buried on March 20 |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Major-Quashigah-to-be-buried-on-March-20-177922 |website=ghanaweb.com |access-date=18 December 2024 |date=5 March 2010}}{{cite web |title=Quashigah Laid To Rest |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/268485/quashigah-laid-to-rest.html |website=Modern Ghana |access-date=18 December 2024 |language=en |date=22 March 2010}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External sources
- [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/pop-up.php?ID=181 Profile on Ghanaweb.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021035845/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/pop-up.php?ID=181 |date=2011-10-21 }}
- [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=174683 Quashigah's death on Ghanaweb.com]
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Dr. Kwaku Afriyie}}
{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Health|years=2005–2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Dr. George Sipa-Adjah Yankey}}
{{s-bef|before=Ibrahim Issaka Adam}}
{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Agriculture|years=2001–2005}}
{{s-aft|after=Ernest Debrah}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quashigah, Courage}}
Category:Ghanaian military personnel
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Category:Agriculture ministers of Ghana