Courage Quashigah
Encyclopedia
Major
Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah (9 September 1947 – 5 January 2010) was a Ghanaian soldier
and politician
. He held many prominent positions in the Ghana Armed Forces and was a Minister of State
for Agriculture and later Health in the NPP government
of John Kufuor
between 2001 and 2009.
of Ghana
. He had his secondary and sixth form education at the Keta Secondary School also in the Volta Region. He gained his GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level
certificates there. He proceeded to the United Kingdom
where he studied at the Royal Military Academy
at Sandhurst. He qualified with a Diploma in Economics
, War studies
and Communication studies
. He was awarded the Cane and Certificate of Honour as Best Overseas Cadet and Highest in the Order of Merit at Sandhurst.
based at Kumasi
in the Ashanti Region
of Ghana. He then became the Chief Instructor at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the same region. Other positions later held by him include Commanding Officer of the Ghana Military Police and Commanding Officer of the Forces Reserve Battalion. He has also served as a Director at the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie
, a suburb of Accra
. Quashigah distinguished himself in various fields in the army. After serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
, he won a Commendation for Efficient and Effective Command.
(PNDC), he was the Chief Operations Officer at the (PNDC) headquarters. He has also served as a Member of the Police Council of Ghana. Quashigah was formerly a close ally of Jerry Rawlings
, Head of state of Ghana and chairman of the PNDC. On September 24, 1989, Quashigah and four others were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the PNDC government. He was finally released in 1992. In 1998, he became the national organiser of the New Patriotic Party
(NPP). After the NPP formed a government in January 2001, Quashigah was appointed Minister of Agriculture. He was appointed Health Minister after a cabinet reshuffle in 2005 after President Kufuor had been reelected in the December 2000 presidential election. Whilst serving as minister of Health, Quashigah received notable recognition
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah (9 September 1947 – 5 January 2010) was a Ghanaian soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He held many prominent positions in the Ghana Armed Forces and was a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Agriculture and later Health in the NPP government
Kufuor government
This is a list of the ministers who have served in John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 2001, the first changeover between civilian governments in Ghana through the ballot box. John Kufuor won the 2004 elections and is serving...
of John Kufuor
John Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was the second president of the 4th Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union...
between 2001 and 2009.
Early life and education
Quashigah was born at Kedzi in the Volta RegionVolta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He had his secondary and sixth form education at the Keta Secondary School also in the Volta Region. He gained his GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
certificates there. He proceeded to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where he studied at the Royal Military Academy
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
at Sandhurst. He qualified with a Diploma in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, War studies
War studies
War studies is the multi-disciplinary study of war. It is distinct from military history in that it encompasses a variety of fields:*Laws of war*Philosophy of war**Ethics of war***Just War Theory**Deterrence theory*Psychology of war...
and Communication studies
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
. He was awarded the Cane and Certificate of Honour as Best Overseas Cadet and Highest in the Order of Merit at Sandhurst.
Military career
Quashigah served as an Intelligence officer at the headquarters of the Second Infantry Brigade of the Ghana ArmyGhana Army
The Ghana Army is the army of the West African nation of Ghana. In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force, and formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army...
based at Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
in the Ashanti Region
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
of Ghana. He then became the Chief Instructor at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase in the same region. Other positions later held by him include Commanding Officer of the Ghana Military Police and Commanding Officer of the Forces Reserve Battalion. He has also served as a Director at the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie
Teshie
Teshie is a city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Fort Augustaborg, built by the Danes in 1787, is located in Teshie and was occupied by the British from 1850 to 1957. The national Officer Cadet Training School and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre are also located here...
, a suburb of Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
. Quashigah distinguished himself in various fields in the army. After serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
, he won a Commendation for Efficient and Effective Command.
Politics
During the military rule of the Provisional National Defence CouncilProvisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
(PNDC), he was the Chief Operations Officer at the (PNDC) headquarters. He has also served as a Member of the Police Council of Ghana. Quashigah was formerly a close ally of Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
, Head of state of Ghana and chairman of the PNDC. On September 24, 1989, Quashigah and four others were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the PNDC government. He was finally released in 1992. In 1998, he became the national organiser of the New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
(NPP). After the NPP formed a government in January 2001, Quashigah was appointed Minister of Agriculture. He was appointed Health Minister after a cabinet reshuffle in 2005 after President Kufuor had been reelected in the December 2000 presidential election. Whilst serving as minister of Health, Quashigah received notable recognition
for outstanding and exceptional contribution towards initiating a national health education on healthy lifestyle living and nutrition in Ghana and his efforts has grandly become extremely successful since the Africa Union has called on member states to declare the last Friday of each year as Africa's Healthy Lifestyles Day. Subsequently Ghana has named Ghana's Former Minister for Health, Major Quashigah, FGNAHAF as Africa's Best Health Minister in recent times and Ghanaians should be proud.