Nathan Anang Quao, (21 November 1915 – 15 February 2005) was a

Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...

statesman and educationist who served as Secretary (Minister) at the PNDC Secretariat from 1984 to 1993 and Special Assistant to President

Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (born Jerry Rawlings John; 22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, and politician who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1993 and then se ...

from 1993 to 2001. A career diplomat and civil servant, he retired as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service in 1973. Quao was the founding headmaster of Keta Secondary School in 1953 and was appointed the first chairman of the

Ghana Education Service The Ghana Education Service (GES) is a government agency under the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing government policies that ensure that Ghanaians of school-going age irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, disability, religio ...

Council in 1974.

Early life and education

Quao was born at

Adawso Adawso is a farming community in the Akuapem North Municipal District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It is located along the Koforidua-Mamfe Mamfe or Mamfé is a city in and the capital of Manyu, a division of the Southwest Region in Camer ...

in the

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

on 21 November 1915 where his father Daniel James Quao of La was based as a general commodities merchant. His mother was Dinah Naa Densua Addy of

Ga-Mashie Ga-Mashie is the home of the original Ga settlers and the original name of Accra, Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and ...

. His maternal grandfather, Nii Ngleshie Addy I was of royal lineage and the oldest son of Nii Tetteh Tsuru I, the founder and ruler of the Otuopai Clan in Ga Mashie. He was a member of the

Ga people The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped as part of the Ga–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. The Ga-Dangmes are one ethnic group that li ...

of Accra. After his elementary education at

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

schools, he had his secondary education at

Accra Academy Accra Academy is a Single-sex education, boys' high school located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It admits both boarding and day students. Founded as a private school in 1931, it gained the status of a Government ...

from 1932 to 1935. Thereafter, he studied for his Bachelor of Arts degree from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

as an external student. He later obtained a

Postgraduate Certificate in Education The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE/PGCertEd) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and South Africa -where it can take up to three years- which provides training in order to allow graduate ...

(PGCE) at the

University College of the Gold Coast The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast. ...

, then a constituent college of the

Career

Nathan Quao’s early career was in

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the of an educational institution. Teaching is closely related ...

. He taught at the

starting in 1936 and was the first headmaster of the Keta Secondary School from 1953 to 1956. He also served as the Acting Principal of the Winneba Training College. Additionally, he taught at the Department of Teacher Training of the

Kumasi College of Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), commonly known as UST, Tech or Kwame Tech, is a public university located in Kumasi, Ashanti region, Ghana. The university focuses on science and technology. It is the second public uni ...

in 1957 and earlier on, at the Extra Mural Department of the

from 1950 to 1951. Quao joined the foreign service of the Ghanaian civil service in 1959, becoming a

career diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state, intergovernmental, or nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or international organizations. The main functions of diplomats a ...

and civil servant in Belgrade, Ottawa and Paris and as Counsellor to Ghana's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. Later on, he was appointed the Principal Secretary at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

in 1966. After the overthrow of Nkrumah, the military junta transferred him to the Office of the

National Liberation Council The National Liberation Council (NLC) led the Ghanaian government from 24 February 1966 to 1 October 1969. The body emerged from a ''coup d'état'' against the Nkrumah government carried out jointly by the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Arme ...

(NLC) where he was originally Deputy Secretary to the NLC government before being appointed Secretary to the Executive Council. The Executive Council stood as the collective executive authority until the election of the prime minister in the Second Republic. In the Second Republic, he held the positions of Secretary to the Presidential Commission in 1969 and Secretary to the

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

in 1970 and subsequently Secretary to the President upon assumption of the office of president by

Edward Akufo-Addo Edward Akufo-Addo (26 June 1906 – 17 July 1979) was a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the " Big Six" leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana who engaged in the fight for ...

. Under the leadership of

Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Ignatius Kutu Acheampong ( ; 23 September 1931 – 16 June 1979) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who was the military head of state of Ghana from 13 January 1972 to 5 July 1978, when he was deposed in a palace coup. He was execute ...

, Nathan Quao served as the Secretary to the

National Redemption Council The National Redemption Council (NRC) was the ruling Ghana military government from 13 January 1972 to 9 October 1975. Its chairman was Colonel I. K. Acheampong, who was thus also the head of state of Ghana. Duration of rule The NRC came into ...

(NRC) and Head of the Civil Service, retiring in 1973. In 1974, Quao was appointed the Chairman of the Ghana Teaching Council and a member of the Manpower Board. In 1978, he was made chairman of the reconstituted

Council. In 1980, he became a member of the

University of Cape Coast The University of Cape Coast (UCC) is a public collegiate university located in the historic town of Cape Coast in the central region of Ghana. The campus has a rare seafront and sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It operates on two ...

Council. He was however plucked out of retirement in 1985 and appointed a Secretary at the

PNDC The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) 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, in a coup ...

Secretariat. Upon return to civilian rule in 1992, he became a Special Assistant to

Jerry John Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (born Jerry Rawlings John; 22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, and politician who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1993 and then se ...

from 1993 to 2001. Quao was chairman of the board of Agricultural Development Bank from 1990 to 2002.

Personal life and family

He was married to Dora Tawia Quao (née Mettle) with two children. In addition, Quao's cousin was the Ghanaian barrister and judge,

Nii Amaa Ollennu Raphael Nii Amaa Ollennu (21 May 1906 – 22 December 1986) was a Ghanaian jurist and judge who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 1962 to 1966. He briefly served as acting President of Ghana during the Second Republic in A ...

who was elected the Speaker of the

Parliament of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana is the unicameral legislature of Ghana. It consists of 276 members, who are elected for four-year terms in single-seat Electoral district, constituencies using a first-past-the-post voting system. History Legislature, L ...

during the Second Republic as well as serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Commission and acting

President of Ghana The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is John Mahama, who won the 2024 presidential elect ...

from 7 August 1970 to 31 August 1970. Quao was the uncle of the Ghanaian economist and diplomat,

Amon Nikoi Amon Nikoi, born Seth Amon Nikoi, (19 January 1930 – 5 September 2002) was a Ghanaian economist and diplomat. He was the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations between 1957 and 1960 as well as the Governor of the Bank of Ghan ...

, who was the Governor of the

Bank of Ghana The Bank of Ghana ( BoG) is the Central Bank of Ghana. It is located in Accra and was formed in 1957. The Bank of Ghana has Seven Regional Offices in addition to its head office in Accra. The regional offices are located in the following citie ...

from 1973 to 1977 and Finance minister from 1979 to 1981. His brother-in-law, the Rev.

Carl Henry Clerk Carl Henry Clerk (4 January 1895 – 28 May 1982) was a Ghanaian agricultural educationist, administrator, journalist, editor and church minister who was elected the fourth Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast, assuming t ...

(1895–1982) was an agricultural educator and

Presbyterian minister Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session (o ...

who was elected the fourth Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1950 to 1954. Clerk was also the Editor of the Christian Messenger, the newspaper of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana from 1960 to 1963. Carl Clerk's sons were the academics,

Nicholas T. Clerk Nicholas Timothy Clerk (3 March 1930 – 22 September 2012) was a Ghanaian academic, administrator and Presbyterian minister who served as the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 1977 to 1982. He ...

and

George C. Clerk George Carver Clerk, (29 July 1931 – 2 May 2019) was a Ghanaian people, Ghanaian Botany, botanist and Plant pathology, plant pathologist. A professor and later, an emeritus professor at the University of Ghana, Legon, he also focused his res ...

Death and state funeral

Nathan Quao died in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

on 15 February 2005 of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...

. He was accorded a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

on Friday 8 April 2005 at the Forecourt of the ''State House'' and buried at the La Public Cemetery by the Ghanaian government as a token of the state's appreciation of his distinguished service to the country.

Legacy and honours

He was a recipient of the

Order of the Volta The Order of the Volta is an order of merit from the Republic of Ghana. It was instituted in 1960 and is awarded to people for their outstanding service to the country.

(Civil Division) in 1975 and the Officer of the

Order of the Star of Ghana The Order of the Star of Ghana is the second-highest award given by the Government of Ghana to any individual who had helped the cause of the country in one way or the other. Recipients of this award are decorated at a state function, chaired by ...

(Civil Division) in 1997. In recognition of his service to the Ghanaian civil service, the Civil Service and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) renamed its auditorium in his memory. In addition, the Association made a book compilation of Quao's writings and memoirs to preserve his legacy. Furthermore, the Local Government Service of Ghana instituted "an Annual Awards Scheme as part of the United Nations /

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

Public Service Day to be sponsored by the

Government of Ghana The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elect ...

in his honour." The Government of Ghana instituted the ''"Nathan Quao Award for Excellence in Civil Service"'' to recognise "outstanding civil servants who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to public service, integrity and exemplary performance. A boys' dormitory at the Keta Secondary School, '' Quao House'' was named in his honour as the founding headmaster of the school. The ''Nathan Quao Street'' in the Accra suburb, Kaneshie, was named after him. In 2018, the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) instituted the Nathan Anang Quao annual lectures "not only to celebrate Mr. N.A. Quao a distinguished civil servant but also to continue to emphasize on the critical need for civil and local government service staff to exhibit professionalism and remain non-partisan in the performance of duties and service to the country."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quao, Nathan 1915 births 2005 deaths Alumni of the Accra Academy University of Ghana alumni Alumni of the University of London Ga-Adangbe people Ghanaian civil servants Diplomats for Ghana Heads of schools in Ghana Permanent representatives of Ghana to the United Nations Ghanaian Presbyterians People from Accra Recipients of the Order of the Volta Recipients of the Order of the Star of Ghana Ghanaian presidential advisors