Joe-Fio Neenyann Meyer
Joe-Fio Neenyann Meyer | |
|---|---|
 Ghana Ambassadorto  Tanzania | |
| In office 1961–1963 | |
| Preceded by | New |
| Succeeded by | E. Kofi Sekyiamah |
| Ghana Ambassador to  China | |
| In office 1964 – 24 February 1966 | |
| Preceded by | James Mercer |
| Succeeded by | Bediako Poku |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joe-Fio Neenyann Meyer June 14, 1918 Accra, British Gold Coast |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
Joe-Fio Neenyann Meyer (born 14 June 1918) was a Ghanaian diplomat and trade unionist.[1][2][3]
Early years and education
[edit]He was born in Accra, British Gold Coast. Joe-Fio had his early education at Accra Royal School from 1925 to 1928, he later proceeded to John Aglionby (bishop) Boys' School from 1929 to 1934 then the Accra Academy where he obtained his secondary education. He entered Tetteh's Business College and Scriba Commercial Institute, he obtained a group diploma in Secretaryship at the London School of Accountancy in 1955. He had an extra mural education at the University College of the Gold Coast then later studied at Ruskin College, Oxford, on ICFTU Scholarship which took him to the British TUC, the French Trade Union Headquarters, Force Ouvriere, Paris, and the Office of the Belgian Workers Movement Brussels, LC.[4][5][6][7]
Career
[edit]He was first employed by the Société commerciale de l'Ouest africain (S.C.O.A.) Headquarters in Accra from 1937 to 1958.
He was Gold Coast's Ballroom dance Champion in 1942. He was a Red Cross member for life in 1944. In 1945, he received the Duke of Gloucester's Certificate for Red Cross War effort and also received General de Gaulle's word of thanks. He became President of the Bishop boys' Old Boys' association in 1945.
In 1951 he was elected General Secretary of the trade union of the Société commerciale de l'Ouest africain. From 1952 to 1954 he was a member of the Salary Board (Retail Trade Workers). He became a member of the Central Advisory Committee on health services from 1953 to 1956. He was also a member of the Local Employment Committee from 1954 to 1957.
In 1955 he was made Treasurer of the Ghana Education Workers Association. The following year, he became a Fellow of the British Chamber of Commerce and also a member of the Industrial Welfare Society (London). That same year, he was promoted to Assistant to the Technical Department Manager at S.C.O.A. after 20 years of meritorious service to the company. At the 13th Annual Conference, in Sekondi-Takoradi he was elected President of the Ghana Trades Union Congress and also served as Director of Education. He was an Affiliate Member of the Institute of Personnel Management (London).
In 1957 he was a member of the Advisiory Work Committee and also a member of the College of Technology Council. That same year he was made the President of the Association of Students of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Brussels. He was a member of the seven men Management Committee of the Accra Municipality. At the 40th International Labour Conference in 1957, he participated in a study tour of trade unions, the factories and office cooperatives in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the Labor movement representing Ghana. He also participated in the conference at: Commonwealth Trade Union Group in Geneva and the 5th Afro-Asian World Congress of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Tunisia that same year.
In 1958 he was elected President of the executive board of the Ghana Trades Union Congress and appointed vice-president of the Builders Brigade Council with the rank of Lieutenant. He retired as Product Assistant/Technical Manager in that same year.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Diplomatic duties
[edit]In 1960 he was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the first labour attaché and was sent to Lagos, he was appointed Commissioner to Nairobi.
From 1961 to 1963 he was Ghana's High Commissioner to Tanzania at Dar es Salaam (then Tanganyika).[11]
From 1964 to February 24, 1966, he was Ghana's ambassador to China at Beijing with accreditation to Pyongyang, (North Korea) and Hanoi, (North Vietnam).[12][13][14][15][16][17]
He was responsible for the preparation of the state visit of Kwame Nkrumah to Hanoi, North Vietnam on 21 February 1966 to resolve the Vietnam War. It was during this period of Nkrumah's absence that a coup d'état was instigated on 24 February 1966 to overthrow him from power.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ Poe, Daryl Zizwe (2004-03-01). Kwame Nkrumah's Contribution to Pan-African Agency: An Afrocentric Analysis. Routledge. ISBN 9781135940676.
- ^ Chau, Donovan (2014-04-15). Exploiting Africa: The Influence of Maoist China in Algeria, Ghana, and Tanzania. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781612512518.
- ^ Amoako, Samuel (2014). "Teaching and Labor: Teacher Unionism in Ghana, 1931–1966". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 47 (1): 55–75. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 24393329.
- ^ a b "Ghana Year Book". 1958: 219. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b "Ghana Year Book". 1959: 199. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1963: 264. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b Meyer, J. N. (1990). Dr. Nkrumah's Last Dream: Continental Government of Africa.
- ^ "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Accra, Government printing department. 1957: 1071. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "African Research & Documentation, Issues 8-14". [Birmingham] African Studies Association of the UK. 1975: 20. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Richards, Yvette (2000). Maida Springer: Pan-Africanist and International Labor Leader.
- ^ Markum, J. A. (2018). Conceiving Mozambique.
- ^ "News from Hsinhua News Agency. Daily bulletin". London. 1965: 175. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Ghana today". London, Information Section, Ghana Office. 1965: 4. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts". Washington. 1965: 14. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "The New Ghana, Volume 8". Accra, Ghana Information Services Department. 1964: 123. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ The Statesman's Year-Book 1966-67: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all Nations. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan Limited. 1966. p. 472. ISBN 9780230270954. Archived from the original on 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ Meyer, J. N. (1984). Dr. Nkrumah's Last Journey: The Sensational Viet-Nam U.S. War.
- ^ Joe-Fio N. Meyer, Dr. Nkrumah's Last Journey: The Sensational Viet-Nam U.S. War, Nyaniba Press, 1984 - Ghana - 144 p