Why Justin Kodua did not respond to Bawumia referring to him as ‘General’

The new General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has shared how long it took him to realize that he had indeed won the election to the top office of the ruling party.

According to him, although his election victory came in the early hours of Sunday, July 17, 2022, during the party’s National Delegates Conference held at the Accra Sports Stadium, he only woke up to the reality in the late hours of Tuesday, July 19, 2022.

Speaking on PM Express on JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb, the NPP General Secretary said that on that Tuesday, he and all his other newly-elected party executives had a meeting at the presidency.

He continued that while there, they met with the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, but it was only then that something the Number Two man in the country said reminded him of his new portfolio.

“It was yesterday that I actually remembered, or got to understand that I was the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party… it was even Tuesday, later in the day around 5pm. The newly-elected national executives went to pay a courtesy call on His Excellency the president. So, we had that discussion, and everything went on successfully.

“So, afterwards, we decided to go and see the vice president at his office. When he walked through, we were already seated, and I remember the 3rd vice chair was sitting closer to the door, then the 2nd vice, then the 1st vice and then myself before the chairman. So, he walked and then, after greeting them, he mentioned, ‘General!’ but I didn’t respond, and it was the 1st vice chairman who drew my attention… and then I said ‘Your Excellency,’ and we all laughed,” he shared.

Justin Frimpong Kodua’s win over the colossus, John Boadu, is one that is yet to leave the lips and minds of many Ghanaians.

But who exactly is this man?

JFK, as he is popularly known polled 2,837 votes, with John Boadu trailing behind him with 2,524 votes.

As a lawyer with a specialisation in corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration, with a particular interest in land disputes and asset management, Kodua became the favourite of the grassroots, hence his victory at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He was appointed in 2017 to head the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) by President Nana Addo Dankwa and was charged to lead the drive to address the youth unemployment canker in Ghana.

JFK, before he was appointed the YEA CEO, was the Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He holds an LLB from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a Barrister of Law from the Ghana School of Law.

Justin Frimpong Kodua also holds a Bachelor of Science in Land Economy from the same university.

Early life and education

Born on November 14, 1982, in the Ashanti region, Justin Frimpong Kodua attended Opoku Ware School. He then proceeded to Hackney Community College, London, United Kingdom, where he obtained a City and Guilds Certificate in Information Communication Technology.

He later enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where he studied Land Economy in the year 2002.