Nelson Yawo Avega Agbesi (1939–2016) was a

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

and politician.

Early life and education

Nelson Agbesi was born on 16 November 1939 at Liati Wote in the then

Trans-Volta Togoland British Togoland, officially the Mandate Territory of Togoland and later officially the Trust Territory of Togoland, was a territory in West Africa, under the administration of the United Kingdom, which subsequently entered into union with Ghana ...

and later

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

but now in the

Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-et ...

of Ghana. Between 1956 and 1961, Nelson received his secondary education at Mawuli School where he obtained the GCE Ordinary level and

Advanced level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

. He entered the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

where he read law. He completed in 1964, graduating with the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Law. He continued to the Ghana Law School which he completed in 1996. He was called to the Bar in October 1966.

Law career

Agbesi first worked as a junior legal practitioner with Lynes Quarshie Idun and partners between 1966 and 1969. He became the senior partner Ameyi Chambers from 1969 until 1979 when he became a member of parliament. He rejoined the Ameyi Chambers in November 1982. On 15 March 1989, he established the Afadzato Chambers in Accra.

Politics

Agbesi was a member of the

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a Social democracy, social-democratic List of political parties in Jamaica, political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in ...

. He contested the

1979 Ghanaian general election General elections were held in Ghana on 18 June 1979, with a second round of the presidential election on 9 July 1979. The presidential election resulted in victory for Hilla Limann of the People's National Party, who received 62% of the votes in ...

and won the East Dayi seat. He became the Member of Parliament from 24 September 1979 until parliament was dissolved and the constitution suspended on 31 December 1981. Agbesi was made a Minister of State by President

Hilla Limann Hilla Limann, (12 December 1934 – 23 January 1998) was a Ghanaian diplomat and politician who served the President of Ghana from 24 September 1979 to 31 December 1981. He served as a diplomat in Lome, Togo and Geneva, Switzerland. Education ...

. He was first appointed the Volta Regional Minister in December 1979. He held this post until December 1980 when he was shifted to Minister for Food and Agriculture replacing E. K. Andah in a cabinet reshuffle. He held this position until the 31 December 1981 military coup d'état replaced the

Limann government This is a listing of the ministers who served in Limann's People's National Party government during the Third Republic of Ghana. The Third Republic was inaugurated on 24 September 1979. It ended with the coup on 31 December 1981, which brought t ...

with the

Provisional National Defence Council 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 ...

Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...

. Agbesi was detained at Nsawam Prisons following the coup. No adverse findings were made against him by the National Investigations Committee so he was released from custody.

Other activities

Agbesi was a member of the

Lions Clubs International The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquartere ...

. He was made a District Governor and the Melvin Jones Fellowship for his meritorious services. The Tema Supreme Lions Club built the Lion Nelson Agbesi Solar Learning Shed on the Yatsovukope Island on the

Volta Lake Lake Volta, the largest artificial reservoir in the world based on surface area, is contained behind the Akosombo Dam which generates a substantial amount of Ghana's electricity. It is completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area ...

in his honour to help children have a place of study after school. Agbesi was instrumental in getting the Lions Club to help finance a Community Clinic at Liati Wote in 2004.

Family

Agbesi's parents were Patrick Kosi Avega who was Mankrado Adzotsomor III of Liati Wote and Philomena Akosuavi Masroh of Agu Akumawu in the

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

. He was married to Nayra Klu for 47 years until his death. He had seven children. He was laid to rest in a mausoleum near his residence at Liati Wote in the Volta Region.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agbesi, Nelson 1939 births 2016 deaths Ewe people Ghanaian MPs 1979–1981 People's National Party (Ghana) politicians Agriculture ministers of Ghana 20th-century Ghanaian lawyers Mawuli School alumni University of Ghana alumni