Harry Sawyerr

Hon Harry Sawyerr
Member of the Ghana Parliament for Osu-Klottey
In office 1979–1981
Minister for Education
In office 1993–1997
President	Jerry Rawlings
Preceded by	Mary Grant
Succeeded by	Esi Sutherland-Addy
Minister for Transport and Communications
In office 1979–1981
President	Hilla Limann
Personal details
Died	8 November 2013 (aged 87 years) Accra, Ghana
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	United National Convention
Profession	Quantity surveyor

Harry Sawyerr(25 April 1926 – 8 November 2013) was a Ghanaian politician and quantity surveyor.

Sawyerr was the first person to be president of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors. He served two terms spanning 1969 to 1971.^[1]

He was among the founders of the United National Convention formed to contest the 1979 parliamentary election. He however left the party to stand as an independent candidate and became a Member of Parliament in the Third Republic Parliament.^[2]

Background

Harry Sawyerr was born on 25 April 1926 in Abokobi, Accra, in the Ga East District to Kwao Sawyerr and Fredericka Naa Awula Akua Lokko.^[3] He was educated at the Presbyterian Primary School at Abokobi (1932), continuing in 1938 to Salem Boys School (now known as Osu Presbyterian Boys School), then at Accra Academy (1942–46). He entered Achimota College in 1947, but his degree studies ended on the sudden death of his father that year, due to lack of funds, and he became a Learner Valuer at the Lands Department from 1951 to 1953.^[3] He subsequently studied estate management in England at the University College of Estate Management (1953–55),^[3] becoming a certified associate of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, in England.^[4] He worked as a District Valuer at the Lands Department in Accra (1955–58), then left public service to establish his private consultancy from 1958 to 1962. From 1962 to 1963 he was City Valuer at Kumasi City Council and worked as Chief Federal Lands Officer in the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1963 to 1967, the first black Chief Federal Lands Officer in Nigeria.^[3]

Sawyerr served as Minister for Transport and Communications from 1979 to 1981 in the Limann government. He also served as Minister for Education in the Rawlings government from 1993 to 1997.^[5]

Death

He died on 8 November 2013 in Accra,^[6] aged 87.^[7]

Awards and recognition

Harry Sawyer was decorated with the Companion of the Order of the Volta, the highest award in Ghana, by the then President John Evans Atta Mills^[8]

There are prizes at the University of Ghana Medical School in his name.^[9]

References

1. "Ghana Institute of Surveyors - Past Presidents". Ghana Institute of Surveyors. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
2. "Rawlings Mojo, Obed Asamoah & 2 Other UNC Wisemen". ModernGhana.com. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
3. "Commemorative Tribute to Henry Romulus Sawyerr (a.k.a Harry Sawyerr)", The Hansard, Official Report for 18th December 2013, Parliament of Ghana.
4. "Harry Sawyerr, Ghana government official", Prabook.
5. "Country-led Aid Coordination in Ghana" (PDF). Associatio for the Development of Education in Africa. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
6. "Harry Sawyerr is dead". General News. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
7. Enoch Darfah Frimpong, "Celebrating Grandpa Harry Sawyerr at 87: Has paid his due to Ghana and the NDC", Graphic Online, 25 April 2013.
8. "Harry Sawyer Profile". Ghanaweb. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
9. "Dr Vera Fosu — Best All-round Student". Tsotsoo's journal. Becky Kwei. Retrieved 28 May 2011.