Stephen Allen Dzirasa

Reverend Stephen Allen Kodjoe Dzirasa was a Ghanaian Educationist, Priest and Politician. He was a teacher prior to being ordained as a Methodist minister. He was a minister of state in the First Republic. He served as Ghana's resident minister in Guinea and also Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. He was a member of parliament representing the Upper Tongu electoral district and later representing the Battor constituency.

Early life and education Dzirasa was born on 23 July 1918, in the Tongu district of the Volta Region to Doefe and Andrews Torgbemu Dzirasa. At a very young age his parents separated and he was moved by his mother to Kpong where he lived with his maternal grandfather, Awittor. His father was allowed to bring him to his side when he was eight years old and from there he began his early education. In 1926 he attended Aveime Salem; A Methodist School that was situated in the village. He continued his education at the Presbyterian Boarding School at Ada Foa and later Trinity College in Kumasi.

Career and politics Dzirasa worked on his father's farm as a herdsman when he was young, driving his father's cattle out for food every day. He also learned fishing, farming, and petty trading from his father and uncle. He was consequently appointed second Assistant Synod Secretary from 1952 to 1954. In July 1960 he was appointed Resident Minister to Guinea He served in this capacity until the overthrow of the Nkrumah government in February 1966.

Personal life Dzirasa was the last born of four children of his mother and the only child of his mother born to his father.