Dr Jones Ofori-Atta, a distinguished Ghanaian economist, academic and politician, occupies a notable place in the country’s post-independence political and intellectual history.
Best known in recent times as the father of former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, his own public life spanned academia, Parliament and government, leaving a legacy that continues to shape national discourse decades after his active service.
Born on December 7, 1937, in the Eastern Region, Jones Ofori-Atta hailed from the influential Ofori-Atta family of Akyem Abuakwa.
He was the son of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, the paramount chief of Akyem Abuakwa and a towering figure in Ghana’s colonial and early post-colonial political development.
This heritage placed him at the intersection of traditional authority and modern statecraft from an early age.
Ofori-Atta’s early education took him through some of Ghana’s most prestigious institutions, including Achimota School, before he pursued higher education at the University of Ghana.
He later earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Ottawa in Canada, establishing himself as a rigorous scholar at a time when Ghana was building its first generation of post-independence intellectuals.
He returned to Ghana to lecture at the University of Ghana, where he became known for his analytical depth and clarity in economic thought.
His academic career culminated in his appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, a role that underscored his standing within the university and the wider policy community.
Jones Ofori-Atta transitioned from academia into politics during the Second Republic, winning election as Member of Parliament for Begoro in 1969 on the ticket of the Progress Party.
He was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the government of Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia.
In that role, he was involved in shaping economic policy at a critical moment in Ghana’s history, as the country grappled with balance-of-payments challenges, currency pressures and structural weaknesses inherited from earlier administrations.
His tenure coincided with difficult fiscal decisions, some of which later became the subject of public debate following the overthrow of the Busia government in 1972.
Following years away from frontline politics, Ofori-Atta returned to Parliament in 1979 during the Third Republic as a member of the Popular Front Party.
He served as an opposition figure and finance spokesperson, earning a reputation as a sharp and articulate contributor to parliamentary debates on economic management.
He remained active within the Danquah-Busia political tradition and, in 1996, contested the presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party, though he was unsuccessful. After withdrawing from electoral politics, he continued to offer policy advice and public commentary on national issues.
Beyond Parliament, Ofori-Atta served in several state roles, including as Chairman of the Volta River Authority in the early 2000s, where he contributed to discussions on energy policy and infrastructure development.
Public debate and historical scrutiny
Ofori-Atta’s legacy has not been without controversy. His time at the Ministry of Finance during the Busia era has often been revisited by critics and analysts assessing the economic challenges that preceded the 1972 military coup.
In later years, these debates resurfaced in the public arena, particularly during the tenure of his son as finance minister, reflecting how historical memory continues to shape Ghana’s political conversations.
Supporters, however, argue that his policy positions must be understood within the constraints of the era and credit him for intellectual honesty and commitment to democratic governance during a turbulent period.
Death and enduring legacy
Jones Ofori-Atta passed away on November 30, 2020, at the age of 86. Tributes following his death described him as a scholar-politician who combined academic discipline with public service, and as a mentor to many economists and policymakers.
Jones Ofori-Atta was father to four children – Ken Ofori-Atta, former Minister of Finance; Duke Ofori-Atta, Earl Ofori-Atta and Nana Yaa Ofori-Atta. He was predeceased by his first wife, Maud, and is survived by his widow, Ellen, and grandchildren.
He was the son of Okyenhene Yere Maame Duodua and Nana Sir Ofori-Atta, brother of Grace Amoakwaa Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s first female national librarian.
His father was the longest-serving African member of the Legislative Assembly (the Parliament of the Gold Coast). Nana Sir Ofori-Atta, the first traditional ruler to establish a stool fund, from which he founded schools and infrastructure in Okyeman, famously had 44 wives.
Consequently, Okyenheneba had over 100 siblings. Among them were William “Paa Willie” Ofori-Atta, a member of the Big Six and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education, Youth and Sports in the Second Republic, Eugene Aaron Ofori-Atta (Speaker of Parliament in the First Republic) and Kwasi Amoako-Atta (finance minister in the First Republic).
He was also the brother of Eugene Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana’s high commissioner to Uganda; Adeline Akufo-Addo, First Lady in the Second Republic; Dr Susan DeGraft Johnson, the first female doctor in the Gold Coast; A A Ampofo, who served as administrator of the Upper Region; the trade unionist Yaw Guggisberg Asante; Ofori Panin Ofori-Atta (Beyeeman); and Alexander Ofori-Atta, father of the current Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
Today, Jones Ofori-Atta is remembered as part of a generation that sought to define Ghana’s economic and political identity in the decades after independence — a man whose ideas, decisions and lineage continue to resonate within the country’s national story.
AE
