J.S. Addo

John Saka Addo is a Ghanaian economist and statesman, who served as Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and was a member of the Council of State. He was Governor from 29 March 1983 to 3 June 1987. He currently serves as Chairman of Prudential Bank.

John Saka Addo was born at Korle Gonno to the late Mr. Thomas Kpakpo Addo and Mrs. Emelia Okaikor Addo (nee Mensah of James Town).

He started Standard One in 1939 at Accra Royal School's Annex at James Town. It was there he wrote an entrance examination and gained admission to the Accra Academy. Later in the same year, three of them in the same class were selected to write an entrance examination to Achimota School and from the results of that examination he was awarded a six-year scholarship tenable at Achimota School.

Mr Saka Addo  had four years secondary education and two years teacher training at Achimota School and the then Achimota Training College respectively. 

Asides studies, he was also involved in sporting activities such as soccer, hockey and cricket for his house, Cadbury.

After Achimota Training College, he taught at Accra Royal School for four months in 1951. In January 1952, he was invited by the late Mr. Attoh Okine, a former teacher at Achimota School to assist him establish a new secondary school at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region. He was there from 1952 to 1953 teaching English and Mathematics before he left for further studies at the University of Ghana, Legon. His banking career at the Bank of Ghana as a Probationary Officer (officer trainee) started in 1958 after graduating  in Economics from the  University of Ghana, Legon. In 1963 he was appointed Secretary to the Board of Directors and in 1965 he was appointed Executive Director he was promoted to Deputy Governor in 1968. A feat he achieved within 10 years.

In 1983, he was appointed Governor of the Bank of Ghana he served in that capacity until 1987. His consultancy firm, J.S. Addo Consultants Limited, did the study for the establishment of Ecobank Ghana and he later became the first Chairman of the Bank. He is also a former Managing Director and Chairman of National Investment Bank (NIB). He and two colleagues from the National Investment Bank founded Prudential Bank Limited nearly eleven years ago and he has since been Chairman of the Bank. In 2005 he was made a member of the Council of State.

As a boy growing up in the neighbourhood of Korle Gonno, Accra, Saka was so inquisitive about the traditions of his people that anytime his father attended traditional functions such as outdooring and marriage or enstoolment ceremonies, he accompanied him. It was during such functions that he learnt about dances and the songs of his people, the Gas. His desire to know more about the traditions of the Ga people caught the attention of his colleagues at Achimota School, where he had his secondary school and teacher training education. He was made the head of the Ga group of the school in 1949. That leadership role gave him the opportunity to educate some of the students on the traditions and culture of the Gas through organised plays, dances and talks.

Hon J.S. Addo is married to Mrs Ida Amatechoe Addo (nee Laryea) and they have four children.