Stephen Allen Dzirasa
{{Short description|Ghanaian educationist, priest and politician}}
{{Use Ghanaian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Stephen Allen Dzirasa
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|office1 = Resident Minister in Guinea
|term_start1 = July 1960
|term_end1 = 1962
|president1 = Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
|predecessor1 = J. H. Allassani
|successor1 = Kweku Budu-Acquah{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCoUAAAAIAAJ&q=Budu-Acquah |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=17 |year=1963|accessdate=2 February 2020}}
|office4 = Member of Parliament
for Battor{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3hMOAQAAMAAJ&q=Dzirasa |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=24 |year=1966}}
|term_start4 = 1965
|term_end4 = February 1966
|predecessor4 = New
|successor4 = Constituency Abolished
|majority4 =
|office5 = Member of Parliament
for Upper Tongu{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c9cgAQAAMAAJ&q=dzirasa |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=11 |year=1960}}
|term_start5 = June 1954
|term_end5 = 1965
|predecessor5 = New
|successor5 = Samuel Awuku Okudzeto
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1918|07|23}}
| birth_name = Stephen Allen Kodjoe Dzirasa
|birth_place = Tongu, Volta Region
|death_date =
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|citizenship = Ghanaian
|nationality =
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Reverend Stephen Allen Kodjoe Dzirasa was a Ghanaian Educationist, Priest and Politician. He was a teacher prior to being ordained as a Methodist minister. He was a minister of state in the First Republic. He served as Ghana's resident minister in Guinea and also Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gCsUAAAAIAAJ&q=dzirasa |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=20 |year=1959}} He was a member of parliament representing the Upper Tongu electoral district and later representing the Battor constituency.
Early life and education
Dzirasa was born on 23 July 1918, in the Tongu district of the Volta Region to Doefe and Andrews Torgbemu Dzirasa. At a very young age his parents separated and he was moved by his mother to Kpong where he lived with his maternal grandfather, Awittor. His father was allowed to bring him to his side when he was eight years old and from there he began his early education. In 1926 he attended Aveime Salem; A Methodist School that was situated in the village.{{cite book |last=Dzirasa |first=Stephen |date=1962 |title=Political Thoughts of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6IQAQAAIAAJ&q=dzirasa | publisher= Ghana Press| page=109}} He continued his education at the Presbyterian Boarding School at Ada Foa and later Trinity College in Kumasi.{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DT4_AQAAIAAJ&q=dzirasa+1918 |journal=Daily Graphic |page=141 |year=1956}}
Career and politics
Dzirasa worked on his father's farm as a herdsman when he was young, driving his father's cattle out for food every day. He also learned fishing, farming, and petty trading from his father and uncle. After schooling, Dzirasa was employed at U. T. C as an assistant storekeeper. After working for some time as a teacher, he was ordained into the Methodist Ministry in 1951.{{cite report |title=White paper on the Report of the Second report of the Jiagge Commission of Enquiry into the Assets of Specified Persons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3hsxAQAAIAAJ&q=dzirasa+teacher |publisher=Ministry if Information |year=1969}} He was consequently appointed second Assistant Synod Secretary from 1952 to 1954.
He was chairman of the Lower Tongu Local Council and in 1953 and appointed member of the Van Lare Commission. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Tongu in June 1954.{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qISAAAAIAAJ&q=Dzirasa |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=15 |year=1961}} In July 1960 he was appointed Resident Minister to Guinea and in December 1962 he was made deputy minister for Foreign Affairs (ministerial secretary).{{cite journal |title=Ghana Year Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCoUAAAAIAAJ&q=Dzirasa |publisher=Graphic Corporation |page=19 |year=1963}} He served in this capacity until the overthrow of the Nkrumah government in February 1966.