Former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly referred to as Sir John, has died.
Sir John was the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission.
A source at the Forestry Commission told Citi News that he died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital today, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19.
Tributes have started pouring in for Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin posted on Facebook that: “R.I.P Sir John. Till we meet again!!”
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah also tweeted a painting of Sir John.
— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) July 1, 2020
Sir John recently lost his sister, Comfort Amoateng and his mum, Obaapanin Kate Serwaa who are yet to be buried.
About Sir John
Kwadwo Afriyie was born in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
He attended Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School in Bekwai from where he obtained his GCE Ordinary level certificate.
He then proceeded to obtain his GCE Advanced level certificate from Konongo Odumase Secondary School in Konongo.
He was admitted to study political science at the University of Ghana.
He then enrolled at the Ghana School of Law where he graduated with Bachelor of Laws.
After this he was admitted as a solicitor and counsel for the Supreme Court of Ghana.
Afriyie entered into private law practice in 1981. During the John Agyekum Kufour administration, he was appointed head of legal services at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
He was later made to act as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the corporation.
While managing his firm, Afriyie was also actively engaged in Ghanaian politics.
He served as the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party from 2010 to 2014.
He lost his bid to secure a second term to Kwabena Agyapong.
Government officials vs COVID-19
Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie is the second government appointee to have died of COVID-19 in Ghana.
The first was Mayor of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, K.K. Sam.
The MCE died on Friday, June 12, 2020, while receiving treatment at the University of Ghana Medical Centre where he was rushed to after falling sick.
Ghana’s Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu also tested positive for COVID-19.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, also tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
