Harona Esseku

Harona Esseku was born on August 14, 1934, in Krobonshie, Senya Beraku, in the Central Region. He had his primary education at Senya Beraku Oma School from 1941 to 1949 and went on to the Accra Academy, where he obtained his Cambridge school certificate in 1953.{{cite book|title=The Birth of the Second Republic|author=Moses Danquah|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qy00AAAAIAAJ&q=Harona+Esseku|publisher=Editorial and Publishing Services|year= 1969 |page=102}} He attended the Kumasi College of Technology from 1954 to 1955. He taught chemistry and geography at his alma mater, Accra Academy after Kumasi and in 1958 he worked as a higher executive officer in the office of the Government Statistician.

In 1959, he entered the University of Ghana and read an undergraduate degree course in economics obtained in 1962 on Texaco scholarship. While at university, he was a pioneering student resident of Third Hall (renamed Commonwealth) and became the first student to be elected as president of the Commonwealth Hall Junior Common Room (JCR) at the end of his first year.{{cite book|title=Stages of Life: An Autobiography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=btclAQAAIAAJ&q=Harona+Esseku| author=G.K. Nukunya |publisher=Ghana Universities Press|year=2007|page=44| isbn=9789964303563 }} In his final year, he was president of the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and also president of the International Association of Students in Science and Economics (AIESEC).{{cite news |last=Safo |first=Margaret |date=17 December 2005 |title=Who takes the chair? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mnhRMOfOT-QC&q=harona+esseku&pg=PA3 |work=The Mirror |access-date=23 August 2018}}

In 1962, he was employed by Pioneer Tobacco Company (British American Tobacco Ghana) as an executive trainee. He worked in the marketing department as a sales promotion manager for the Brong Ahafo and the then Northern Region. He took several foreign trips on sponsored trainings and was the advertising manager of Pioneer Tobacco by 1967.{{citation|title=Daily Graphic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2GZWCTAebmQC&dq=Esseku&pg=PA4|date=6 May 1969|editor=Henry Ofori|issue=5783|page=4}}

Esseku also started his own business, which has operated in transport, distribution and commerce. He also has interests in fishing and farming.

Esseku was secretary to the Senya Beraku Development Association from 1965 to 1968, and Secretary to the Council of Youth Associations covering the three traditional areas of Winneba, Awutu and Senya.

In 1968, he was elected by the Awutus, Effutus, Gomoas and Agonas to represent them in the constituent assembly as the representative of the Winneba Administrative District for the drafting of the constitution of the second republic.{{Citation|title=Politicians and Soldiers in Ghana 1966-1972| editor= Dennis Austin, Robin Luckham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oa3rAgAAQBAJ&dq=Harona+Esseku&pg=PA158|page=158 |publisher=Frank Cass and Co. |year=1976| isbn= 9781317792239 }}

Though an early enthusiast of the Third Force, he joined the Progress Party in 1969 and became one of its leading members.{{cite journal|title=Political Roundup|journal=Daily Graphic |issue=5845 |date=17 July 1969|editor=Eddie Agyeman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hS33SpPkqDgC&q=c.a+darku.+principal+secretary&pg=PA3|page=3}} In the parliamentary elections that took place on 29 August that year, Harona Esseku was elected as a member of parliament for Awutu-Effutu-Senya Constituency.

At thirty-five years, Harona Esseku became the youngest cabinet minister in the Busia government, with responsibility for the Ministry of Transport and Communications. He lost his ministerial position in a

cabinet reshuffle in April 1971.

At the onset of the third republic, he became a founding member of the Popular Front Party (PFP) and later a member of the steering committee of the party. However, he and other former Progress Party leaders were barred from public office in the Third Republic due to adverse findings against them by a committee after the fall of the Second Republic. Their collective petition to have their ban overturned through a court hearing failed.{{cite journal|title= Afrifa and Others Cleared |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAwbx_PKGxsC&dq=Harona+Esseku&pg=PP67|journal=Ghana News|year=1979|volume=8-12|page=8}}

In 1992, he was a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as one of 110 persons who appended their signature to the first party documents filed to the electoral commission.{{cite journal|title=Essuman sparks of controversy in NPP |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8kkZSIRXPUC&dq=Harona+Esseku&pg=PA11|journal=Daily Graphic|issue=14621|date=11 December 1997|editor=Elvis D. Aryeh|page=11}}

Esseku was secretary to the national disciplinary committee of the NPP from 1995 to 1998. He was a member of the national council of the NPP from 1995. He was vice chairman of the Central Regional branch of the party from 1996 to 2001, the party's representative to the Inter-Party Committee (IPAC) and the chairman of the NPP electoral commission.{{cite journal| title= Harona Esseku - Still Going Strong |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSMLwl6hMZ8C&dq=Harona+Esseku+and+1995&pg=PA17|journal= The Daily Graphic |date=26 October 2005 |page=17}}

Esseku was deputy chairman of the national campaign committee of the party for the 2000 general elections.

In August 2001, he became chair of the New Patriotic Party with 348 votes as against 61 votes and 22 votes obtained by Samuel Duah Addai and Mohammed Musah respectively. He took over as chair from Samuel Odoi-Sykes and was aged 67 at this takeover.{{cite web|title=Harona Esseku New NPP Chairman| url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/16357/haruna-esseku-new-npp-chairman.html|website=modernghana.com|date=26 August 2001}}{{cite web|title=Esseku takes over from Odoi-Sykes as NPP chairman|url=http://www.ghanareview.com/int/Esseku.html| website=ghanareview.com|date=26 August 2001}} He was chair of the New Patriotic Party until December 2005.{{cite news |last=Boadu-Ayeboafoh |first=Yaw |date=3 October 2005 |title=Haruna Esseku to contest for NPP Chairmanship |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7pLaomnTIhMC&q=haruna+esseku+founding+member&pg=PA13

|work=Daily Graphic |access-date=23 August 2018}} He was replaced by Peter Mac Manu as chair of the party.

Esseku was married to Janet Esseku, a Ghanaian broadcaster who worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.{{cite web |title=ASWIM first president passes on| url=http://ghheadlines.com/agency/ghana-news-agency/20191112/132510621/aswims-first-president-passes-on// |author=GNA |access-date=26 September 2020}} He died on 3 August 2022, at the age of 87.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-05 |title=NPP's Harona Esseku dies at age 88 |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/NPP-s-Harona-Esseku-dies-at-age-88-1596668 |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}

Harona Esseku was a beneficiary of the member of the Order of the Star of Ghana award, conferred on him by the then president John Agyekum Kufuor in 2007.

{{cite web |title=President nominates personalities for National Awards |url=http://www.ghanadot.com/news.gna.062108a.html |website=GhanaDot|access-date=26 September 2020 |ref=Yes}}

• Minister for Communications (Ghana)
• Busia government
• Awutu-Senya (Ghana parliament constituency)
• Gomoa-Awutu-Effutu-Senya District

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Category:1934 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:New Patriotic Party politicians

Category:Politicians from Central Region (Ghana)

Category:Alumni of the Accra Academy

Category:Ghanaian MPs 1969–1972

Category:20th-century Ghanaian businesspeople

Category:Progress Party (Ghana) politicians

Category:University of Ghana alumni