Swithin Maxwell Arko (1920-2006) 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 ...
politician in the
first republic. He was the member of parliament for the Agona Nsaba constituency from 1965 to 1966. Prior to entering parliament he was the chairman of the Agona Local Council and later chairman of the National Association of Local Government Councils.
Early life and education
Arko was born on 21 March 1920 at
Nsaba, a town in the
Central Region of
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 shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. He was educated at the Nsaba Presbyterian Middle Boarding School and
Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim School is an all-boys boarding secondary school in Cape Coast, Ghana, established by the Methodist Church in 1876 to foster intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth on the then Gold Coast. Its founding name was Wesleyan High Scho ...
,
Cape Coast
Cape Coast is a city and the capital of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Cape Coast Metropolitan District and the Central Region (Ghana), Central Region of Ghana, Ghana. It is located about from Sekondi-Takoradi and approximately from Ac ...
. He proceeded to the United Kingdom to study Local Government Administration after working with U. A. G. Ltd for about ten years.
Career and politics
Arko begun working with U. A. G. Ltd from 1941 until 1951 when he left for the United Kingdom for further studies.
Upon his return to Ghana in 1952, he served on the Agona Local Council as clerk of the council. In 1957 he joined the
Cocoa Marketing Board as a senior loans officer. He worked with the Cocoa Marketing Board until 1962 when he became chairman of the Agona Local Council and vice chairman of the National Association of the Local Government Council. He later became chairman of the National Association of the Local Government Council. He was also an executive member of the African Union of Local Authorities and an executive member of the International Union of Local Authorities. In June 1965 he became the member of parliament for the Agona Nsaba constituency. He served in that capacity until February 1966 when the
Nkrumah government
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister of Ghana, Prime Minister and first President of Ghana. Nkrumah had run governments under the supervision of the British government through Charles Arden-Clarke, the Governor-General. His first gover ...
was overthrown.
Personal life
Arko died in 2006 and was survived by seven children. His hobbies included reading and football.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arko, Swithin Maxwell
1920 births
2006 deaths
Ghanaian MPs 1965–1966
Convention People's Party (Ghana) politicians
Mfantsipim School alumni
Ghanaian expatriates in the United Kingdom