Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has described the late Executive Secretary of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), Dr Isaac Akuetteh Bampoe Addo, as a decisive figure in Ghana’s response to its economic crisis, saying his interventions helped shape the country’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
In a tribute published in the funeral brochure for Dr Bampoe Addo and his twin brother, Sidney Nii Oko Bampoe Addo, Mr Ofori-Atta said the late labour leader brought unusual preparation, boldness and strategic thinking to negotiations at a time when Ghana’s economy was under severe pressure.
“Dr. pushed us to examine multiple scenarios. He was super prepared for those meetings,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
“Government’s International Bankers and Lawyers were amazed by his thoroughness, boldness, and ingenuity. We changed the formula many times because Dr. had a different angle on it.”
Labour’s role in the debt crisis
Mr Ofori-Atta said Dr Bampoe Addo’s influence became most visible during the DDEP negotiations, when government was seeking to restructure domestic debt as part of efforts to restore economic stability and return to an IMF-supported programme.
According to the former Finance Minister, Dr Bampoe Addo and Dr Baah helped secure a carve-out for unions, ensuring that organised labour’s concerns were reflected in the final arrangement.
He said the late CLOGSAG leader understood the need to protect workers while also recognising the danger of undermining the country’s recovery efforts.
“After many hair-raising debates, we concluded a deal that enabled us to move forward, everyone feeling bruised, but elated and satisfied that we all had done our best for the Republic and the Unions,” Mr Ofori-Atta wrote.
He described the negotiations as tense and high-stakes, comparing the experience to navigating dangerous waters without safety equipment.
Seven years of labour negotiations
Mr Ofori-Atta said he worked closely with Dr Bampoe Addo for seven years, mainly through annual negotiations on the national daily minimum wage, public-sector base pay and conditions of service.
He said their relationship deepened after the government began quarterly engagements with unions to brief them on the economy and seek their input into the budget and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Those engagements, he said, led to the formation of the Social Partnership Council, which he chaired.
Mr Ofori-Atta said Dr Bampoe Addo was a key partner in the council’s creation and in implementing its recommendations.
“We built a circle of trust, and this served us immensely in the COVID and post-pandemic period,” he said.
Defender of workers’ rights
Beyond the DDEP, Mr Ofori-Atta credited Dr Bampoe Addo with helping to secure a Supreme Court ruling affirming the right of civil servants to belong to political parties of their choice.
He also praised the late union leader for overseeing the merger of the civil service and local government unions, a development that expanded CLOGSAG’s membership to more than 60,000.
Mr Ofori-Atta said those achievements strengthened Dr Bampoe Addo’s standing within the labour movement and gave him greater influence in national negotiations.
He described the late CLOGSAG boss as a leader who was not always popular, particularly among some senior members of the union and sections of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), but who earned respect through his knowledge, courage and commitment.
“Dr. was not to be bullied, though he would bully,” Mr Ofori-Atta wrote.
A call for national honour
The former Finance Minister called for Dr Bampoe Addo to be honoured posthumously for his contribution to workers’ rights and national development.
“He is a man who dedicated his time, talent, and treasure to promoting and preserving the rights of workers,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
“As a true patriot, he was ‘bold to defend’ Ghana and ‘cherished fearless honesty’.”
He said Dr Bampoe Addo deserved to be remembered among Ghana’s outstanding labour leaders, alongside figures such as Tetagah, Appiah-Adjei, Adu-Amankwah, Asamoah and Dr Baah.
Final funeral rites
The tribute was published ahead of the final funeral rites for Dr Bampoe Addo and his twin brother, Sidney Nii Oko Bampoe Addo, held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.
Dr Bampoe Addo, a former Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, died on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the age of 59.
His twin brother, Sidney, a Deputy Director at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, died on Monday, September 14, 2026, also aged 59.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s tribute has drawn attention to the often unseen role organised labour played during Ghana’s debt restructuring, portraying Dr Bampoe Addo not only as a union activist but as a central participant in negotiations with national and international implications.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe
