Isaac William Benneh

Benneh was born on 12 May 1912 at Berekum in the Bono Region of Ghana.^[4] He had his elementary education at Berekum and Abetifi where he obtained his Standard 7 certificate in 1930.^[4]

After receiving two years training with Cadbury and Fry Company, Benneh became a cocoa broker for the Company in 1933.^[4] He rose through the ranks and became a supervisor of the company in 1951.^[5] While working with the company, he also run his own transport business.^[5]

Upon the death of J. G. Awuah, the then sitting Convention People's Party (CPP) member for the Berekum constituency, the Berekum seat was vacant and a by-election was held on 25 April 1957.^[6] Benneh contested for the seat and won on the ticket of the CPP.^[7] After winning the election, he was appointed General Manager of the Ghana Farmer's Cooperative.^[8] In October 1959, he was a appointed Ministerial Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and held this appointment until June, 1960. In August 1960, he was transferred to the Ministry of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare serving in that same capacity. That same year, Benneh was elevated to the rank of a minister of state given the Portfolio of Education. He held this appointment for a period of four years until he was transferred to the Ministry of Communications.^[9] On 15 April 1965 he was appointed Minister for Rural Industries, replacing John Young Ghann who had then been made Minister for Internal Trade.^[10][11] Benneh remained in this capacity until 24 February 1966 when the Nkrumah government was overthrown.