A Ghanaian politician and economist, Joseph Henry Mensah, who died on July 12, 2018, will be buried Today, Friday, August 17, 2018.
A state funeral will be held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.
A pre- burial Church Service was last night held at the Christ the King Parish, in Accra.
His remains will be laid in state at the International Conference Centre for the public to file pass.
Following a memorial service at the same venue.
Burial takes place at the New Military Cemetary. Thereafter, a final funeral rites will be held at the forecourt of the state house .
A statament issued by the New Patrotic Party, (NPP), said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Former Presidents’ Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama will attend.
Also the leadership of the NPP and Representatives of all political parties, members of the Diplomatic Corps as well as other leading members of past and present governments among other dignitaries will be present.
The NPP, on behalf of the bereaved family and government and people of Ghana, is inviting the public to the “solemn occasion and pay their last respect to the man described as the Father of National Development Planning in the country and former Finance and Senior Minister,” the statement said.
J.H Mensah, born in October 1928 was a founding member of the governing New Patriotic Party was a former Minority leader and a Majority leader and held his last top government position in 2005 when he was appointed Senior minister by President Kufuor.
His working experience dates back to 1953 when he was appointed as an Assistant Inspector of Taxes by the colonial administration.
The Senior Minister of Government Business also worked as a Research Fellow in Economics at the University of Ghana between 1954 and 1958.
He joined the United Nations Secretariat in 1958 as an Economic Affairs Officer at the Centre for Development Planning, Projections and Policies, in New York.
In 1961, Mr. Mensah was the Head of Agency at the National Planning commission of the Government of Ghana, which drew and implemented the country’s Seven-Year Development Plan (1962 1969).
During the Progress Party (PP) administration (1969-1972), he was the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning as well as a Member of Parliament (MP).
Between 1974 and now, Mr. Mensah has worked in different capacities both at home and aboard. These include Chairman and Managing Director, Development and Managing Director, Development and Management Consultants (Ghana) Ltd; Chairman, Sunyani District Council (1978-1981), and Proprietor of Banka Farms Limited.
Mr. Mensah served as a member of the African Advisory Council of the African Development Bank (ADB) between 1993 and 1997.
In 1996, he contested the Sunyani East seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party and won in the Parliamentary elections in December 1996 to become an MP. He retained the seat in the 2000 polls.
He was the Minority Leader in Parliament during the Second Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
He was the brother of Mrs Theresa Kufuor, wife of former President John Agyekum Kufuor under whose government he served as a Senior Minister.
The Veteran politician who died in July, at aged 89, is survived by eight children.
