Biography of the 'The Man' John Ampontuah Kumah

The late Member of Parliament for Ejisu Constituency, John Ampontuah Kumah, who passed away on Thursday, March 7, 2024, was laid to rest on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

John Kumah, a former Deputy Minister of Finance, was considered one of the rising stars in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He passed away at the age of 45 and is survived by his wife, Apostle Mrs. Lilian Kumah, and six children.

Below is his biography as provided in his funeral brochure:

One of Ghana’s politicians with a solid support base was Hon. Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, a Member of Parliament for the Ejisu Constituency and deputy minister of Finance, born in 1978 and died in 2024. He was a politician, entrepreneur, and legal practitioner who touched many lives positively. He had a vast network of connections with individuals and groups from various ethnic, religious, and political affiliations with whom he had established ties through mutual business ventures and other affiliations.

John Kumah was the second child of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kumah. He was born at Dietwa, a small village near Sankore in the Ahafo Region, where his father was a cocoa purchasing clerk.

John Kumah had a special bond with Sunyani and the Bono Region, where he spent his childhood and received primary and junior high school education. He attributed his entrepreneurial skills to his time in Odomase near Sunyani, where his foster mother taught him how to sell chewing sticks, kerosene, and other items during primary school.

Later, he moved into residence as a boarder at Rapid Preparatory School in Sunyani. He built strong connections with various families in the Bono Region, who remained integral to his life. John Kumah’s family tree is quite diverse, and one of his not able relatives is his paternal grandmother, who hailed from Asikuma Odoben Brakwa in the Central Region of Ghana. John Kumah’s connection to Asikuma Odoben Brakwa and his grandmother’s roots was a significant aspect of his family history and cultural identity.

As an Asante, John Kumah’s mother is a member of the Royal Aduapokye Family near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region. Interestingly, his biological uncle is the chief of the Aduapokye and serves in the Gyase Division of the Otumfuo’s Banpanase Stool at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. John’s family tree can be traced to the legendary Queen Yaa Asantewaa of Ejisu, his great-great-grandmother and a renowned warrior queen. His father, Nana Kumah, is also the Sanaahene of Adanwomase in the Ashanti Region.

John Kumah had strong connections to the Western North Region through his father, the Odikro (chief) of Bonsu Nkwanta Adanwomase in that region. Moreover, his father owns large cocoa farms in various parts of the area. As a young person, John worked on his father’s cocoa farm at Amafie and Aboboyaa near Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region and was, therefore, very familiar with the intricacies of rural life, especially cocoa farming. He also had many childhood friends in that area.

John Kumah was a member of the Asona Family, which is part of the Aka clan system. The head of the Asona Family is Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin. John’s ancestors originally hailed from Akyem Abuakwa in the Eastern Region. However, due to the Ahantan War, his ancestors were forced to move to Ashanti. King Opoku Ware himself placed them near Ejisu through the Nsumankwaahene.

Academic Qualifications

John Kumah had a rich academic background. He held a doctorate in Business Innovation from the Swiss Business School in Switzerland, a Master’s in Applied Business Research at the same Business School, an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration (Finance) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in economics with philosophy, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and a Professional Law Certificate from the Ghana School of Law.

Dr Kumah’s spouse, Mrs Apostle Lilian Kumah, who he described as a pillar of inspiration, is a native of Kokofu Mensaase, near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. She is the founder and leader of Disciples of Christ Ministry and doubles as the CEO of the Hollanand Group of Companies. She is a distinguished alumna of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Presbyterian University-Koforidua, and Trinity Theological Institute. The couple met in 2005 and married in 2007 in Obuasi and were blessed with four biological children and several adopted children.

Achievements

In his youthful days at junior high school, he dreamt of becoming a contractor to build high-rise buildings and roads. He wondered why notable contractors who used to visit his father’s cocoa depot riding in big cars plied poorly constructed and narrow roads with many potholes. His dream was to remedy that anomaly someday. Interestingly, as a member of Parliament and deputy minister, he was noted for having put up many high-rise buildings in his constituency in the form of his party’s office. He had also built and donated an ICT Centre to Opoku Ware School, his alma mater, named after His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and is due to be commissioned. He had also built a state-of-the-art modern toilet facility for the school. In addition, he had come close to his dream of building asphalted roads, having established an asphaltic plant at Donuaso to kickstart road construction in the Ejisu Constituency and beyond.

After completing secondary school at Opoku Ware School in Kumasi while awaiting the results of his exams, he zoomed into business, acquiring his first capital. Even before he entered university, he was driving an Opel Omega. He owned a BMW 33 Series during his national service, which he later sold to expand his construction business. He subsequently bought an Isuzu Tuper, which remained a part of his fleet of vehicles for nostalgia.

In 2015, he set up his Aduapokye Chambers, run by a team of seasoned and competent lawyers. In October 2012, at 33, when his party, the NPP, was in opposition, he house-warmed his grand mansion at Chantan. The event, chaired by the then-party chairman, the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, was attended by several NPP stalwarts.

John Kumah’s commitment to showcasing Ghana’s endowments began when he completed senior high school. He set up a tourism company and mobilised students to tour tourist attractions in Ghana. Through that venture, he raised his first capital and built a container for selling cement, with his dream of becoming a contractor in focus.

As CEO of NEIP (National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan), John Kumah led several initiatives, including the Presidential Business Support Programme. Under his leadership, NEIP trained 45,000 beneficiaries and financed 10,000 with a minimum of 2,000 cedis and a maximum of 100,000 Ghana cedis. One of the most significant initiatives John led was the Presidential Pitch, which encouraged young people to develop job creation ideas. The top 10 beneficiaries received presidential attention and funding. NEIP also provided financial support to persons with disabilities, female entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs with disabilities through the Presidential Business Support Programme. These initiatives have produced numerous successful business owners in Ghana, including Pizzaman Chickenman.

NEIP prioritised training young people and equipping them with creative ideas. His favourite mantra was, ‘While money is essential, it only accounts for 30% of what one needs to succeed in business. The remaining 70% depends on the person’s capacity to manage and understand their vision and what they want to achieve.’ To achieve this, NEIP engaged numerous consultants to train beneficiaries and developed a model that allowed every applicant to undergo assessment training. Training was a critical aspect of the NEIP scheme, and once someone applied, they automatically qualified for training. The best ideas and businesses received funding from the training, which is why many people could be trained and support about 10,000 beneficiaries. It is gratifying to see that the beneficiaries of the NEIP programme became so knowledgeable and resilient that many of them remained in business and did well even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEIP also implemented student entrepreneurship clubs in second-cycle institutions to encourage young people to start thinking about business while still in school. NEIP partnered with the National Service Scheme to post students who began their businesses while in school to do their national service businesses under the supervision of NEIP while continuing to receive their national service allowance. John proposed this idea because of his background as a businessman who owned a successful business before completing university. He believed someone with a company should not be posted elsewhere for national service.

Politics and Leadership Roles

Lawyer John Kumah’s leadership gift started in primary school, where he became school prefect at Rapid Preparatory School in Sunyani. At OWASS, he became the senior prefect and, upon completion, formed the Ashanti Regional SRC in 1997, of which he remained a proud mentor to successive members and leadership. At the university, he also played a leading role in student activism. Subsequently, he became a member of the Board of the GETFUND, the first Ghanaian student to hold that position.

John Kumah’s record in leadership was astronomical and refreshing as he moved from being a Member of Parliament in 2021 to Deputy Minister of Finance in charge of Wealth.

Honourable John Kumah’s leadership acumen is manifested in his brilliant performance serving his constituency. Among other things, he spearheaded the construction of a contemporary political party office in Ejisu. In addition, he facilitated the establishment of crucial amenities in the constituency, including the renowned Kente Museum in Bonwire, modern toilet facilities in various parts of the constituency, and an ultra-modern poultry processing facility in Donyina. In line with the NPP Government’s belief that developing the sporting talents of the youth is an effective way to achieve sustainable national development, Hon. John Kumah made substantial investments in sporting infrastructure in his constituency, which includes natural grass football pitches and astroturfs in the Ejisu Constituency. These achievements have had significant impacts on the socio-economic development of the constituency.

Dr John Kumah’s unwavering commitment to his childhood passion of preaching in commercial vehicles, known as trotro, was inspiring. Despite his success in other areas, he remained a stalwart of the Christian faith, with a strong foundation from the Roman Catholic Church, where his parents belong. He served as the board chairman and Asafo Papa (Church Father) of Christian Way Chapel, which his wife, Apostle Lilian Kumah, leads as head pastor and general overseer.

Membership of Parliamentary Committees

Lawyer John Kumah served as a member of the Appointments Committee, the Legal and Subsidiary Legislation Committee, and the vice chairman of the Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. Before his demise, he was a member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee. In his practice as a lawyer, John Kuma specialised in financial crime cases because of his background in Finance and economics. He contributed a lot to the legal field. As a member of Parliament, he got the opportunity for the first time to be the vice chair of the Legal and Constitutional Committee of the 8th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, from where he contributed to several bills and acts. He did much advocacy in criminal jurisprudence and contributed to improving financial acts, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (ECOCO) Act.

Relationship with the Opposition

Hon. John Kumah had a remarkable ability to build strong relationships with people from all walks of life, regardless of their political affiliation. He firmly believed that nation-building requires a sense of togetherness and that having a cordial relationship with all involved in this noble endeavour was important. He would often say, ‘At the end of the day, we are all working towards a common goal of building a better nation. It is crucial to have a compassionate and sympathetic approach towards each other to achieve that goal successfully.’

Arguably, Ghana has excelled in many areas of her democratic experimentations since 1993, especially in peace, security, political stability, and the guarantee of fundamental human rights. The critical area in which the country is yet to excel is how to translate the achievements of the 4th Republic into the desired economic prosperity. And that is the question of wealth creation. That is the foundation built by the Akufo-Addo Administration, and it is fitting to say that John Kumah played a critical role in the building of that foundation as he was noted as a wealth creation genius who excelled in his previous appointment as the CEO of the NEIP, an institution mandated to champion wealth creation in the country. As a deputy minister of Finance, he had the privilege of assisting Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, the then Minister of Finance, in helping His Excellency the President in his wealth creation vision.

Awards and Honours

In appreciation of his sterling leadership roles and contributions to Ghana’s development, particularly in empowering the youth through wealth generation, on 20 July 2023, Hon John received the African Hall of Fame award from New Africa Magazine at the New Africa Leaders’ Summit and Honours held in Accra. He received numerous awards, including letters of appreciation and citations from schools, students, worker associations, and faith-based organisations.

John Kumah was known among young people for his passion for youth development. His philosophy, which he shared in his upcoming autobiography, is, ‘to see a prosperous nation where individuals are proud to pursue their dreams while preserving the country’s prosperity.

On 7 March 2024, Ghana experienced unprecedented disruption as it mourned the loss of the Honourable John Ampontuah Kumah. The distinguished public servant had been en route to Accra for medical attention when he passed away. The news of his demise brought the nation to a standstill, prompting widespread expressions of grief and tributes to his exemplary leadership.

The world has truly lost a remarkable individual in John Kumah. He left an indelible mark on this world through his kind, courteous, courageous, diligent, and visionary nature. His slender arms were always full of kindness, and he learned a young age the importance of washing his hands well and sharing meals with older people. May his deep love for his country and humanity inspire us all, and may future generations of Ghanaians know that John Kumah lived and served with distinction. Indeed, he was a good man whose legacy will continue to inspire us to live our lives with purpose and compassion.

BAI/NOQ

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