Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has extoled Dr. Richard Anane, one of the Ministers who served under his government, describing him as his “favourite” for being hard working and competent.
Dr. Richard Anane served as Minister for Health and Minister for Roads and Highways under President John Kufuor. He held these cabinet positions between 2001 and 2006.
Speaking exclusively to TV3’s Beatrice Adu on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the ex-President said Dr. Anane was behind the construction of major roads in the capital city while he served as the Roads Minister under his government.
The Former President mentioned major roads including the Accra- Kumasi road, the road from Mallam to Yamoransa in the Central Region and the Tema to Aflao road.
He said other social policies like the National Health Insurance Scheme were introduced while Dr. Anane served as the Health Minister.
“He (Anane), for instance was part of the initiation of the National Health Insurance Scheme which benefited the people at large and also when he was moved to the road sector.
“I tell you when you check the history, Ghana would be yet to get a Minister that really contributed to building the roads from the capital, if you look at the roads from Accra to Kumasi, right from Nkrumah Circle then the George Bush highway.
“From Mallam all the way to Yamoransa, then Tema to Aflao. Then in Volta Region, Nkonya, Dambai. From Tamale to Yendi, all these things happened within just four to five years under Anane. So, he is very hard working,” he stated.
He stressed that as a Minister, Dr. Anane was “second to none.”
“Anane is a medical specialist with some practice behind him. He is a solid man but we tend to as a society tend to be too niche picking which is not good but in terms of him as a hard-working Minister, he was second to none. Where he was put, he served,” he remarked.
In 2006, while Dr. Anane was serving as the Minister for Road Transportation, he was accused of corruption which caused him to tender his resignation to his boss, John Agyekum Kufuor, who was President at the time.
An investigation by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) found that Anane allegedly used government funds to pay his mistress an amount of one hundred thousand dollars. The commission then advised the government at the time to dismiss him.
In 2006, he resigned from his post and pursued the matter in court, maintaining his innocence.
The court subsequently cleared Dr. Anane of any wrongdoing and was asked by the erstwhile President Kufuor to resume his position.
The court said CHRAJ arrogated powers to itself by conducting an illegal investigation against Dr. Richard Anane, without being petitioned by any particular complainant.
Commenting about the matter in the interview, the former President said no evidence of corruption was established against Dr. Anane at the time.
He explained that Dr. Anane was maligned by some persons without any prove, referencing the court’s acquittal of Anane of any wrongdoing.
“It wasn’t established Dr. Anane was corrupt. There was allegation, he was involved with some lady in America. He had an issue with some lady in America, they had an issue and he was caring for the lady and their son. Somehow, some people picked that up and made it seem Anane has been able to remit 90,000 dollars.
“Anane is very hard working but people have chosen to maligning him without prove,” he added.
According to the erstwhile President, he believes he handled the matter in the best possible manner by advising Dr. Anane to resign at the onset of the issue and resort to legal processes to vindicate himself.
“When the thing came, it was taken to CHRAJ. I said he should resign and use the legal processes to absorb himself if he is not guilty and he went to the courts and the courts said the case hadn’t been established.
“That’s why I asked him to come back to continue with his work…politics is a very tricky business; I am telling you,” he stressed.
The court at the time
He continued: “He was like my favourite Minister for his competence and so I asked him to resign which he did and took the matter to court and the court said CHRAJ didn’t handle the matter well. Yes (I handled the issue well). I come into government to assemble ministers to work for the people and Anane was one of the very best ministers that served under me.”
