Komla Agbeli Gbedemah

Komla Agbeli Gbedemah was born on June 17, 1913, in Warri to Ewe parents from Anyako, Volta Region. Educated at Achimota College, he became a successful confectioner and timber contractor before dedicating himself to anti-colonial politics.

When Kwame Nkrumah and other party leaders were imprisoned in 1950 during Positive Action, Gbedemah took sole command of the CPP, organizing the sensational 1951 electoral victory that compelled colonial authorities to release Nkrumah directly into the premiership. Serving as Minister of Finance from 1954 to 1961, Gbedemah maintained strict fiscal stability, introduced Ghana's independent currency, and personally negotiated with the World Bank, Kaiser Aluminum, and the US government to secure funding for the colossal Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam.