“The best stories are those that really happen.”    –   Koffi Addo

Koffi Addo was born on the 6th of May 1921 in Twenedurase, Kwahu.  Apprenticed to his uncle Kwadwo Sasu an expert tailor for the Gold Coast Regiment, he was saved from illiteracy by his older brother who removed him prematurely from the child labour that it was.  In July 1929 he was enrolled in Infant Class One aged eight years old at Nkawkaw Methodist School.  Most of the other children were five or six years old.   But due to his diligence he was promoted from Class One to Class Three and transferred to the Obo Government School.  At school he sold sweets and pencils during the break.  In December 1938, he placed first in the whole Gold Coast!  His over all score of 98.75 percent a record that was held for over half a century until the Standard Seven exams were stopped in 1989.  He was summoned by the colonial Director of Education in Accra and offered a scholarship to go to Achimota on a four year full scholarship. He worked with the West African Air Corps becoming a confidential secretary to the Chief of Air Staff in May 1943 and in December of the same year, he resigned and joined the Post and Telegraphs Department.   Koffi Addo after becoming a card-carrying member of the UGCC (United Gold Coast Convention), became the organising secretary and wrote articles in opposition newspapers to challenge the colonial rule in the Gold Coast.

In 1948, Koffi Addo received a scholarship awarded by the Agricultural Mechanical and Normal College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas).  This meant a separation of eight years from his wife and baby daughter.

He registered in school and after undergoing a medical examination was diagnosed with tuberculosis.  He was immediately sent to the McRae Memorial Sanatorium in Alexander, Arkansas where he was held for two years whilst being treated.  As a result, he was going to miss two years of college.  Koffi Addo in his autobiography says that God told him to study law and by providence, he saw an advert in the Ebony magazine offering non-residential studies in law by the American Extension School of Law in Chicago. He successfully passed within an eighteen-month period and had the degree of Bachelor of Law (LLB) conferred upon him.  Koffi went back to school and out of his class of 230 students in 1954, graduated summa cum laude claiming the first position.

He left Arkansas to study for his Masters at the New York University Graduate School of Public Administration. Upon his return to Ghana, he accomplished a sterling career in government, private business.  Koffi Addo is credited with the acquisition and merger of Ghana’s six gold mines that were operating at a loss and converting them into the profit-making Ghana State Gold Mining Corporation.  He also established the distilleries Black Adam Distilleries as a sole proprietor and acquired Ideal Distilleries Limited at New Akrade as a going concern, where the distillation of the alcoholic beverages took place. Duncan, Gilbey and Matheson (International Distilleries) was the parent company of Wine and Spirit Distributors. He was also on the boards of companies in Europe and Africa.  His published books include Letters to a Son: Guideposts to Morality and Discipline and A Village Boy’s Dream, A Will to Succeed.