BIOGRAPHY
June 19, 2015
Kwabena Agyeman Britwum was the first of the ten children born to his father Stephen Kwame Asianoa Britwum of the Aduana clan of Bonkro, Nsuta Asante and mother Madam Grace Agyei of the Adom Yamfo Aduana Royal Family of Nyankyereaniase. He was born in Kumasi on 4th December, 1928 and named after his paternal granduncle. He was soon after taken to his father’s hometown of Bonkro. Whilst still little his parents relocated to Akyem Asafo in the Eastern Region where his father was stationed as a cocoa-buying agent of Cadbury and Fry Company.
In 1937, he commenced his primary education at Akyem Asafo Presbyterian School as Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman. Amongst his classmates and contemporaries during his early education were General (retired) Lawrence Aboagye Okae, Isaiah Ansah and Robert Addo Fenning, retired professor of History (University of Ghana, Legon). At the end of the academic year he left the Akyem Asafo Presbyterian School and continued at the Koforidua Methodist School from 1941 until he successfully completed his standard seven examination in 1946. His contemporaries and friends at the Koforidua Methodist School included Messieurs Joel Aryee, Daniel Akosa, A.B. Addison, Kwadwo Nyame Nketia, Maxwell Danso, Ambassador E.M. Deborah and professor Owusu-Addo.
As evidence by his academic excellence, Kwabena Agyeman passed the Common Entrance Examination and was offered admission to both Mfantsipim School and Achimota School which were two of the foremost secondary institutions in the country at the time. However, his father insisted that since his son was so brilliant he deserved to continue his education with government support or some form of scholarship. Therefore, his father declined to send him to either of the two schools. Kwabena then sat for the entrance examination of the American-sponsored Washington Carver Institute (WCI) in Accra upon the advice of a friend, Thomas Peter Omari of Omari Bookshop fame, who had already enrolled as a student in that institution. He was offered admission to the school. One of the attractive characteristics of the WCI upon completion of the Ordinary Level Examination was the lucrative scholarship to the United States of America for further education.
Kwabena’s father found these opportunities very attractive and therefore supported his son in accepting WCI’s offer. His mates at WCI included Archibald Quartey-Papafio and Asare Dzani, both of who later worked at the management level in the government Printing press in Accra. Mid-Stream during his education at WCI, Kwabena Agyeman left and enrolled in the newly established Labone Secondary School. The school authorities headed by Rev. Martei-Markwei agreed to transfer Kwabena’s scholarship from WCI due to his excelled abilities. Labone Secondary School was founded by disaffected teachers from WCI who had resigned en-bloc due to internal disagreements. Among the teachers were Mr. Andoh-Kesson who taught Kwabena Agyeman History and literature and Mr. Johnson who succeeded Rev. Martey-Makwei as headmaster.
In June, 1951 Kwabena Agyeman, sat for and passed the Cambridge Overseas Schools Certificate of education Examination and alongside N.O. Kumi who had earlier accomplished a similar feat in 1950, successfully participated in the last series of the London Matriculation Examination. In December 1951, Kwabena Agyeman was one of the first batch of candidates presented by the Labone Secondary School for the Cambridge Overseas Schools Certificates of education Examination. Of the fourteen candidates presented by Labone Secondary School that year, only two candidates; Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman and Quartey-Papafio were successful. Subsequently, Ebenezer like all other products of WCI and Labone who did not have the opportunity to continue their education in the USA enrolled in the School of Hygiene but did not fancy working as a Sanitary Inspector.
Ebenezer Asianoa ‘Kwabena‘ Agyeman then spent the next two years working as a pupil teacher an area where he found the knack of teaching as a natural talent. There, he had found his métier and thus decided to formalise a career aspiration by enrolling at the Wesley College in Kumasi in January 1955 and attained the Teacher’s Certificate A (post-secondary category). Ebenezer’s first post-qualification station was to the Hyiawo-Besease Methodist School where he taught in the 1956 academic year. While teaching at the Wesley College Practice School, he studied, sat for and passed the General Certificate of Education Advanced level in three subjects at one setting as required at the time by the University of Ghana, Legon.
In October 1960, he entered the University of Ghana, Legon still bearing Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman. He graduated in June, 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Second Class Lower Division in History. He took up a teaching appointment at Wesley College in July, 1963. However, in October, barely three months later Ebenezer was recalled by the University of Ghana to pursue a post-graduate programme in the Institute of African Studies. Upon completion, he immediately joined the staff of the History Department of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in October 1965 as a Lecturer. In 1967, Ebenezer was awarded a scholarship to study European History at King’s College in London, as part of the staff development programme. It was this period that he established long standing bonds with his associates (compatriots) notably Dr. Thomas Mensah, Mr. Opoku Achampong (now deceased), Mr. Appau (lawyer), Justice Aboagye etc (please add or delete as appropriate).
Urged by his father, Mr. Stephen Agyeman Britwum, during his stay in London Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman officially changed his name to Kwabena Agyeman Britwum by deed-poll. His father’s position was informed by the fact that he had only two sons amongst his ten children and was therefore fearful that his name would be perpetuated since his oldest son then had only three daughters. Significantly, this name-change enabled Kwabena to combine and customise his grandfather Kwabena Agyeman’s name with his father’s last name, Britwum as his personal name.
After completion of his studies in October 1968, he stayed on for another two years and started a PhD programme. However, he was recalled by UCC to take over when the expatriate staff handling the European History courses left. Upon his resumption to duty at UCC from February 1970 to 1977; he rose in stature and was appointed Senior Hall Master (now Senior Hall Tutor) of Casely-Hayford Hall. One of the major achievements during his tenure; was the construction of the ‘’Khan Walkway’’; named in honour of his predecessor in office. In 1976, he was promoted to the rank of senior Lecturer in History.
In 1977, he won a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship as a foreign Consultant in Africa Area Studies tenable at Albany, Georgia University. During the tenure of his Fellowship, he established the African Studies Department in History, Geography and Political Science at Albany. Due to the excellent work he did at Albany, the administrators of the Fulbright-Hayes Fellowships offered to renew his contract for another term to enable him establish another Department at Wisconsin University. Kwabena had to turn down this offer when UCC refused his permission. He thus retuned to UCC in 1978, where he continued his teaching until 1981.
In 1981, Kwabena Agyeman Britwum joined the Ghanaian exodus to Nigeria due to extreme financial hardships. He took up a lectureship position at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Nigeria, then the biggest university in Nigeria in terms of number and space. The general student population at ABU was thirty-five thousand while the staff strength in the History department was forty-one. While at ABU he acted as Head of Department during the absence of the substantive Head. He was appointed the Assistant Examiner of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. In this position he was responsible for the organisation of examination and compilation of student remarks.
He returned to Ghana and took up a senior lectureship position in History in the Department of General and African studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. He was appointed head of Department in 1990. In 1991, he was appointed as a Vice-Dean of the faculty of social science, an office he held until he retired. He took up a post as a post–retirement contract as a Senior Lecturer in History at KNUST between October 1993 and September 1996 when he finally retired from the active University lecturing.
As a scholar of international repute, it comes as little wonder about the extent of his published literatures. Key among them was his seminal work on the German state. He co-authored the biography of Baafour Osei Akoto, one of the senior Linguists of the Asantehene. Besides, he participated in several seminars, conferences and workshops both in Ghana and abroad that yielded many fruitful publications and provided the basis for further academic research by younger academics.
Due to his unique qualities, which included integrity, assiduity and level-headedness, Kwabena Agyeman Britwum was appointed to serve on several Boards and committee of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Ghana. He was also a member of the International Committee on Monuments and Sites under the auspices of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board and the committee on living Oral Traditions, a sub-Committee of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science.
As an Academic, Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum produced many descendants in various places that he taught both in Ghana and abroad, instilling in them a meticulous style of Scholarship, commitment to verification of facts and diligence in all undertakings. Mr. Agyeman Britwum has many interests including reading, football as well as a strong passion for politics.
His political inclination is deeply rooted in Democracy and thus he abhorred dictatorship including military rule. Kwabena’s interest in politics dated back in his youth when he joined the Youth Wing Of The National Liberation Movement (NLM) during his student days at Wesley College. He continued his political Activism during his student days at Legon and London. His tenure as a lecturer did not dampen his passion for politics. Indeed, when Kwabena returned to Ghana from sabbatical leave in 1978 at the peak of the revived multi-party political activities he immediately rolled up his sleeves and mucked in. He became the major proponent of the merger idea which sought to reunite the fragmented front of the United Party (UP) tradition.
His main role was liaising between the leadership of the two major factions that had emerged. These were the United Nations Convention led by Paa Willie Ofori-Atta and General Akwesi Amankwah Afrifa on one hand and the Popular Front Party led by Victor Owusu on the other. Kwabena´s role was to seek mediation of the principal orthodox clergymen in the country between the two factions in the UP tradition. In the early 1980´s Mr. Agyeman Britwum´s political interest found avenue through his membership of the quasi-political Friday Club. The club grouped together individuals who were known to have democratic credentials. These included Professor Folson, the retired Diplomat Kwasi Brew, Lawyer/Businessman Mr. Appiah-Menka, Professor John Fynn, Professor Benedict Dere, Mr. E.O. Gyamfi of Bikae Limited, one Mr. Coleman a businessman, Prof. Kofi Agyeman, Kojo Alata of Cape Coast (whose real name was Kojo Mensa) and the librarian Mr. S.A. Afreh. Members of the Friday Club met every first Friday of the month on rotational basis in the four cities; Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi and Takoradi. Members of the Friday Club were later instrumental in founding the all People´s Party that regrouped the fragmented UP political family in September 1981.
After his return from Nigeria, Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum became a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when the ban on the party political activities was lifted in 1990. Indeed after his retirement from active lectureship, he assumed office as the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP from 1996 to 1998 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Kwame Donkoh-Fordwour. His honesty, firm conviction in and adherence to the principles of democracy endeared him to many including Paa Willie Ofori-Atta, General Akwasi Amankwah Afrifa, Victor Owusu, Professor Adu-Boahen and Dr. Donkoh-Fordwour.
Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum also had very strong family values. As the oldest male, indeed the sol surviving brother among his mother´s ten children, Wofa Kwabena Agyeman played his role as family head very effective. Indeed, as a family man, he was able to effectively combine his multiple roles as husband, father, brother and uncle. He maintained an open house where children, nephews and nieces had the opportunity to interact under his patronage. In additions, he was instrumental in forging a strong bond between the descendants of the Britwum brothers, i.e. his father and his siblings so that in the true Akan fashion, it is impossible to differentiate between uterine siblings, parent siblings and cousins.
Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum, a man of many parts indeed. A scholar, unifying family man, lecturer, political activist, friend to many, mentor, a loving father, husband, brother and uncle, devout Christian whose commitment to the Methodist Church was unequivocally very strong.
In 1937, he commenced his primary education at Akyem Asafo Presbyterian School as Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman. Amongst his classmates and contemporaries during his early education were General (retired) Lawrence Aboagye Okae, Isaiah Ansah and Robert Addo Fenning, retired professor of History (University of Ghana, Legon). At the end of the academic year he left the Akyem Asafo Presbyterian School and continued at the Koforidua Methodist School from 1941 until he successfully completed his standard seven examination in 1946. His contemporaries and friends at the Koforidua Methodist School included Messieurs Joel Aryee, Daniel Akosa, A.B. Addison, Kwadwo Nyame Nketia, Maxwell Danso, Ambassador E.M. Deborah and professor Owusu-Addo.
As evidence by his academic excellence, Kwabena Agyeman passed the Common Entrance Examination and was offered admission to both Mfantsipim School and Achimota School which were two of the foremost secondary institutions in the country at the time. However, his father insisted that since his son was so brilliant he deserved to continue his education with government support or some form of scholarship. Therefore, his father declined to send him to either of the two schools. Kwabena then sat for the entrance examination of the American-sponsored Washington Carver Institute (WCI) in Accra upon the advice of a friend, Thomas Peter Omari of Omari Bookshop fame, who had already enrolled as a student in that institution. He was offered admission to the school. One of the attractive characteristics of the WCI upon completion of the Ordinary Level Examination was the lucrative scholarship to the United States of America for further education.
Kwabena’s father found these opportunities very attractive and therefore supported his son in accepting WCI’s offer. His mates at WCI included Archibald Quartey-Papafio and Asare Dzani, both of who later worked at the management level in the government Printing press in Accra. Mid-Stream during his education at WCI, Kwabena Agyeman left and enrolled in the newly established Labone Secondary School. The school authorities headed by Rev. Martei-Markwei agreed to transfer Kwabena’s scholarship from WCI due to his excelled abilities. Labone Secondary School was founded by disaffected teachers from WCI who had resigned en-bloc due to internal disagreements. Among the teachers were Mr. Andoh-Kesson who taught Kwabena Agyeman History and literature and Mr. Johnson who succeeded Rev. Martey-Makwei as headmaster.
In June, 1951 Kwabena Agyeman, sat for and passed the Cambridge Overseas Schools Certificate of education Examination and alongside N.O. Kumi who had earlier accomplished a similar feat in 1950, successfully participated in the last series of the London Matriculation Examination. In December 1951, Kwabena Agyeman was one of the first batch of candidates presented by the Labone Secondary School for the Cambridge Overseas Schools Certificates of education Examination. Of the fourteen candidates presented by Labone Secondary School that year, only two candidates; Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman and Quartey-Papafio were successful. Subsequently, Ebenezer like all other products of WCI and Labone who did not have the opportunity to continue their education in the USA enrolled in the School of Hygiene but did not fancy working as a Sanitary Inspector.
Ebenezer Asianoa ‘Kwabena‘ Agyeman then spent the next two years working as a pupil teacher an area where he found the knack of teaching as a natural talent. There, he had found his métier and thus decided to formalise a career aspiration by enrolling at the Wesley College in Kumasi in January 1955 and attained the Teacher’s Certificate A (post-secondary category). Ebenezer’s first post-qualification station was to the Hyiawo-Besease Methodist School where he taught in the 1956 academic year. While teaching at the Wesley College Practice School, he studied, sat for and passed the General Certificate of Education Advanced level in three subjects at one setting as required at the time by the University of Ghana, Legon.
In October 1960, he entered the University of Ghana, Legon still bearing Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman. He graduated in June, 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Second Class Lower Division in History. He took up a teaching appointment at Wesley College in July, 1963. However, in October, barely three months later Ebenezer was recalled by the University of Ghana to pursue a post-graduate programme in the Institute of African Studies. Upon completion, he immediately joined the staff of the History Department of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in October 1965 as a Lecturer. In 1967, Ebenezer was awarded a scholarship to study European History at King’s College in London, as part of the staff development programme. It was this period that he established long standing bonds with his associates (compatriots) notably Dr. Thomas Mensah, Mr. Opoku Achampong (now deceased), Mr. Appau (lawyer), Justice Aboagye etc (please add or delete as appropriate).
Urged by his father, Mr. Stephen Agyeman Britwum, during his stay in London Ebenezer Asianoa Agyeman officially changed his name to Kwabena Agyeman Britwum by deed-poll. His father’s position was informed by the fact that he had only two sons amongst his ten children and was therefore fearful that his name would be perpetuated since his oldest son then had only three daughters. Significantly, this name-change enabled Kwabena to combine and customise his grandfather Kwabena Agyeman’s name with his father’s last name, Britwum as his personal name.
After completion of his studies in October 1968, he stayed on for another two years and started a PhD programme. However, he was recalled by UCC to take over when the expatriate staff handling the European History courses left. Upon his resumption to duty at UCC from February 1970 to 1977; he rose in stature and was appointed Senior Hall Master (now Senior Hall Tutor) of Casely-Hayford Hall. One of the major achievements during his tenure; was the construction of the ‘’Khan Walkway’’; named in honour of his predecessor in office. In 1976, he was promoted to the rank of senior Lecturer in History.
In 1977, he won a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship as a foreign Consultant in Africa Area Studies tenable at Albany, Georgia University. During the tenure of his Fellowship, he established the African Studies Department in History, Geography and Political Science at Albany. Due to the excellent work he did at Albany, the administrators of the Fulbright-Hayes Fellowships offered to renew his contract for another term to enable him establish another Department at Wisconsin University. Kwabena had to turn down this offer when UCC refused his permission. He thus retuned to UCC in 1978, where he continued his teaching until 1981.
In 1981, Kwabena Agyeman Britwum joined the Ghanaian exodus to Nigeria due to extreme financial hardships. He took up a lectureship position at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Nigeria, then the biggest university in Nigeria in terms of number and space. The general student population at ABU was thirty-five thousand while the staff strength in the History department was forty-one. While at ABU he acted as Head of Department during the absence of the substantive Head. He was appointed the Assistant Examiner of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. In this position he was responsible for the organisation of examination and compilation of student remarks.
He returned to Ghana and took up a senior lectureship position in History in the Department of General and African studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. He was appointed head of Department in 1990. In 1991, he was appointed as a Vice-Dean of the faculty of social science, an office he held until he retired. He took up a post as a post–retirement contract as a Senior Lecturer in History at KNUST between October 1993 and September 1996 when he finally retired from the active University lecturing.
As a scholar of international repute, it comes as little wonder about the extent of his published literatures. Key among them was his seminal work on the German state. He co-authored the biography of Baafour Osei Akoto, one of the senior Linguists of the Asantehene. Besides, he participated in several seminars, conferences and workshops both in Ghana and abroad that yielded many fruitful publications and provided the basis for further academic research by younger academics.
Due to his unique qualities, which included integrity, assiduity and level-headedness, Kwabena Agyeman Britwum was appointed to serve on several Boards and committee of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Ghana. He was also a member of the International Committee on Monuments and Sites under the auspices of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board and the committee on living Oral Traditions, a sub-Committee of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science.
As an Academic, Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum produced many descendants in various places that he taught both in Ghana and abroad, instilling in them a meticulous style of Scholarship, commitment to verification of facts and diligence in all undertakings. Mr. Agyeman Britwum has many interests including reading, football as well as a strong passion for politics.
His political inclination is deeply rooted in Democracy and thus he abhorred dictatorship including military rule. Kwabena’s interest in politics dated back in his youth when he joined the Youth Wing Of The National Liberation Movement (NLM) during his student days at Wesley College. He continued his political Activism during his student days at Legon and London. His tenure as a lecturer did not dampen his passion for politics. Indeed, when Kwabena returned to Ghana from sabbatical leave in 1978 at the peak of the revived multi-party political activities he immediately rolled up his sleeves and mucked in. He became the major proponent of the merger idea which sought to reunite the fragmented front of the United Party (UP) tradition.
His main role was liaising between the leadership of the two major factions that had emerged. These were the United Nations Convention led by Paa Willie Ofori-Atta and General Akwesi Amankwah Afrifa on one hand and the Popular Front Party led by Victor Owusu on the other. Kwabena´s role was to seek mediation of the principal orthodox clergymen in the country between the two factions in the UP tradition. In the early 1980´s Mr. Agyeman Britwum´s political interest found avenue through his membership of the quasi-political Friday Club. The club grouped together individuals who were known to have democratic credentials. These included Professor Folson, the retired Diplomat Kwasi Brew, Lawyer/Businessman Mr. Appiah-Menka, Professor John Fynn, Professor Benedict Dere, Mr. E.O. Gyamfi of Bikae Limited, one Mr. Coleman a businessman, Prof. Kofi Agyeman, Kojo Alata of Cape Coast (whose real name was Kojo Mensa) and the librarian Mr. S.A. Afreh. Members of the Friday Club met every first Friday of the month on rotational basis in the four cities; Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi and Takoradi. Members of the Friday Club were later instrumental in founding the all People´s Party that regrouped the fragmented UP political family in September 1981.
After his return from Nigeria, Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum became a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when the ban on the party political activities was lifted in 1990. Indeed after his retirement from active lectureship, he assumed office as the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP from 1996 to 1998 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Kwame Donkoh-Fordwour. His honesty, firm conviction in and adherence to the principles of democracy endeared him to many including Paa Willie Ofori-Atta, General Akwasi Amankwah Afrifa, Victor Owusu, Professor Adu-Boahen and Dr. Donkoh-Fordwour.
Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum also had very strong family values. As the oldest male, indeed the sol surviving brother among his mother´s ten children, Wofa Kwabena Agyeman played his role as family head very effective. Indeed, as a family man, he was able to effectively combine his multiple roles as husband, father, brother and uncle. He maintained an open house where children, nephews and nieces had the opportunity to interact under his patronage. In additions, he was instrumental in forging a strong bond between the descendants of the Britwum brothers, i.e. his father and his siblings so that in the true Akan fashion, it is impossible to differentiate between uterine siblings, parent siblings and cousins.
Mr. Kwabena Agyeman Britwum, a man of many parts indeed. A scholar, unifying family man, lecturer, political activist, friend to many, mentor, a loving father, husband, brother and uncle, devout Christian whose commitment to the Methodist Church was unequivocally very strong.