Kwabena Darko

Kwabena Darko (born October 23, 1942 , Bekwai, Ghana ) is a politician, pastor, industrialist and multimillionaire in Ghana.

education

Darko came from a poor background and lost his birth father at an early age. Therefore, he completed a large part of his training part-time in order to be able to make a contribution to the family income. His stepfather, who was a poultry farmer, sent him to the Ruppin Institute in Israel to study agriculture. Darko already specialized in poultry farming here.

Industrial tycoon

Darko began his career as an employee of the state farms in Ghana ( Ghana State Farms Corporation ). Just six months later he resigned to become manager of the central egg farm of the family business Darko Farms in Kumasi between 1960 and 1969. He then became chairman and managing partner of Darko Farms & Co. Ltd., which he founded. Darko still holds this position today as the majority shareholder of the company. The family business produces 50 percent of all poultry products in Ghana, making it the market leader not only in Ghana, but in all of West Africa. Because of this economic success, Darko is also called "Poultry King" (German poultry king).

Between 1979 and 1983 Darko held the post of President of the Animal Science Association and between 1979 and 1984 he was also Deputy President of the National Council for Poultry in Ghana.

Darko also held various posts and positions in Christian organizations, associations and the like from his earliest youth.

Darko also has the following positions:

• Board member, Empretec Ghana Foundation 1995–2002
• Board member, Opportunity International Network - 1997
• Board member, Oasis International Training Center - since 2000
• Board member, The Bank of Ghana - since 2001

Politician

In the presidential election in 1992 , Kwabena Darko ran for the National Independence Party (NIP) as a presidential candidate and was defeated by the later president and former military dictator Jerry Rawlings . In the same year the NIP boycotted the elections to the Ghanaian parliament, along with other parties.

pastor

At the age of sixteen, Darko became a devout Christian with an evangelical faith. A young preacher, Morris Cerrulo, came to Darko's home and quickly accepted him as a preacher. Even today, Darko spends part of his profits from the family business to support his church. Here, too, Darko has risen to important positions within the church hierarchy. He became Minister of the Gospel in 2000.

family

Darko is married to Christina, with whom he has six children. His children are named Sam, Veron, Jonathan, Maxine, Mercy and Bernice in the order they were born. Christina and Kwabena Darko have five grandchildren.

Darko's parents did not come from rich backgrounds, his father died early. Darko therefore had to contribute to the family's income very early on, in addition to his duties as a student. Darko's mother married a poultry farmer with a small poultry business.

Honors

• Award of the Grand Medal, " Order of the Volta " -1978
• National Award for Merit in Agriculture - 1978
• Ghana Animal Science Association Award for Special Merit within the Association - 1982
• Best Farmer Award at the Royal Agriculture Show, London - 1984
• Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, Ghana - 1985
• Best National Poultry Farmer - 1986
• Honorary Award for Special Services to Ghana from the Feed Millers Association - 1992
• Ghana Business Hall of Fame - 1992
• Appointed "Minister Of The Gospel" - 2000
• Honorary Doctorate in Science from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) - 2002
• Honorary Doctorate of "Divinity" from Global Missions and Bible College London - 2002

See also

• List of Ghanaian politicians

Web links

• Ghanaweb, curriculum vitae , (engl.)