Ghana leader Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed his shock and swiftly paid tribute to Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur hailing the country's former Vice President as 'fine public servant' following his sudden on Friday morning.

Akufo-Addo expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased as his leader of the opposition John Dramani Mahama, and their National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.

Amissah-Arthur collapsed at the  gym and was rushed to the 37 Military hospital where he died shortly after arrival at the facility. He was aged 67.

Amissah-Arthur was an economist, academic and politician who was the sixth Vice-President of Ghana, in office from 6 August 2012 until 7 January 2017, under President John Dramani.

The death has sparked a touching and extensive tribute from the Ghana leader who hailed the qualities of the former Ghana Vice-President.

"I have learnt with shock and great sadness the sudden death of the former Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur," President Akufo-Addo wrote on Friday morning.

"He has been a longstanding public servant, who discharged his duties with dignity. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

"The news of his death is unfortunate, since he appeared to have a lot to contribute to the public life of our country. My thoughts and sympathies are with his wife, children and family.

"I extend my deepest condolences to them, and also to the former President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and to the National Democratic Congress, of which the former Vice President was a prominent member. Ghana has lost a fine public servant."

Amissah-Arthur was sworn in as Vice-President on 6 August 2012, following vetting by the Parliament of Ghana. He was nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to be the vice-president a week after Mahama himself was sworn in. This followed the sudden death of John Atta Mills on 24 July 2012.

He was a research assistant at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research between 1974 and 1975. He later joined the Economics Department as a teaching assistant from 1977 to 1978, going on to become an assistant lecturer in 1979. He lectured at the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana between 1980 and 1988.


He has also been a lecturer at the Department of Economics, Anambra State College of Education, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria (August 1981 – July 1983).[7] He went into politics until 1997. He worked as a consultant for the World Bank in The Gambia. He also served as a consultant for the Netherlands‘ government education project in Ghana. He then worked as Senior Economist for the Sigma One Corporation in Ghana between 1998 and 2000. Between 2001 and 2002, he was on assignment for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.[5]