The success story of the late Nana Akwasi Essan II, the late brother of Cecilia Abena Dapaah

Nana Akwasi Essan II, the late brother of embattled former sanitation minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, involved in the controversy of the US$800,000 missing sum at the minister’s residence at Abelempke was an astute businessman.

Apart from large tracts of lands that belonged to the late Nana Akwasi Essam II, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Numuahene, he was an entrepreneur who owned a lot of companies.

Otec News delves into the life of Nana Akwasi Essan II whose shoe factories’ products are sold in Ivory Coast, Togo, and Benin.

Early Life:

Nana Akwasi Essan II was Otumfuo’s Numuahene born on September 6 1962 in Kumasi. His Father Opanin Kwame Dapaah of Apatrapa of blessed memory was a Wealthy Contractor, Farmer, and Money Lender. His mother Nana Ode Nyarko II was Otumfuo’s Numua Baapanin. She was a renowned cloth seller. She was one of the big agents of G.B OLLIVANT, S.D KARAM, P.Z., UAC, and GTP Companies.

Educational background:

He started his elementary School at Bantama Presbyterian Primary School and continued his education at Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (Okess), Kumasi Ashanti Region.

Working Life:

With an entrepreneurial and industrious spirit, Nana ventured into business at an early age.

He was a great artist as well as a master craftsman. He established a shoe manufacturing company at Bantama and the company’s specialty was the manufacturing of security boots. The factory was well-equipped with heavy-duty industrial machines.

His main clients were some private security companies like Intercom Company Limited, G.4.S Company Limited, and Ghana Police Service. About six years ago, Nana was fortunate to have some clients from Ivory Coast, who were distributing some of his products in Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast.

In his quest to expand his horizon in his shoe manufacturing business, he decided to set up two other factories to produce the soles for his security boots. One of the factories he was constructing is at Edwenase – Kumasi which is almost completed.

The other factory is at Apatrapa-Kumasi, where Nana has put up the office block at the lintel level and the main factory building at the foundation level. His Boots Manufacturing Company employed about thirty permanent workers and always employed about fifty casual hands whenever there was a big order from his clients.

He intended to import new machines for the two factories mentioned above immediately after the factory buildings were completed.

Traditional authority:

Nana Akwasi Essan II was enstooled on October 25, 2000. His twenty-one-year reign was a period of sacrifice, service, and integrity. His relationship with his families in Mpatasia, Pankrono, Twedie, Patase, and Anyinamso all in the Ashanti Region is worth emulating especially Nana Akwasi Essan II's duty towards his paternal family cannot be overlooked.

As a Traditional Leader and the head of his family, he was controlling all the family lands at Twedie about fifteen thousand acres, Mpatasia about ten thousand acres, Patase about six thousand acres and Anyinamso about ten thousand acres.