I wore my first slippers during my secondary school days - Chief Alhassan Andani

Naa (Dr.) Alhassan Andani, Chief Executive Officer of LVSafrica, has opened up about his growing up years and how they helped shape his career.

Speaking on The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV, the celebrated banker and strategic economist said even though his father was a chief and his elder brothers were financially stable, it was not until he entered secondary school that he owned his first pair of slippers.

"When we are going to primary school, then you can have some shorts around your waist. bare-chest, running around throwing stones and climbing trees. That was my youth. It was quite tough; I actually wore my first slippers when I went to secondary school. If it is shoes, I am sure my dad could provide me with shoes. That was part of it. My elder brothers who were medical doctors could get me shoes, but they subtracted it from my life," he noted.

He continued that, "As I reflect on my growing up, probably it was the kind of life I was being prepared for. I grew up in a big home. My father was a chief. In that house, everybody is treated equally, rarely we have the opportunity to call him daddy. Everybody calls him chief, in our local language, Naa, that was how, we were brought up. Now even reflecting, we were just allowed to run around without pants on, just running around. Just running around like young kids".

The former Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic Bank added that those experiences have helped him to empathise with the struggles of others, particularly the vulnerable in society.

"I'm sure that was part of setting you up for challenges you will face because today, even as I sit here, I still look after people walking barefoot. Even as I have moved on, I can relate with what is going on," he added.

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Watch his full interview with Etsey Atisu, the host of the Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV, below:





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Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below: