T.D. Brodie Mends

Theophilus Dougan Brodie-Mends (26 November 1929 – 19 January 2013) was a Ghanaian journalist, lawyer and politician. He was a member of the first Parliament of the second Republic. He also served as Minister of Information

Career Brodie-Mends worked as journalist, as a sub-editor for the Star of West Africa from 1947 to 1952.

He served as a member of the board of the board of governors of Mfantsipim School and Mfantsiman Girls' Secondary School. He also served as a board member of the Ghana College of Sports (COS) in 1966 and the New Times Ltd. He was a member of the Central Regional Development Committee, member of the Constituent Assembly, and counsel for the University College, Cape Coast. He was chairman of the Management Committee of the Cape Coast Municipal Council.

Politics In 1969, Brodie-Mends was elected as a member of parliament for Cape Coast on the ticket of the Progress Party. He was appointed Minister of Information in 1969 and Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources in January 1971 until January 1972 when the Busia government was overthrown.

The overthrow of the Busia government led to his arrest; he was incarcerated for 13 months. He became a founding member of the Movement for Freedom and Justice, which opposed SMC and its UNIGOV concept, for which he was incarcerated for three months. When Ghana was ushered into civilian rule in 1979 he became a founding member of the Popular Front Party and ran in the 1979 elections, but lost to a representative of the Action Congress Party.

During the fourth republic, Brodie-Mends was a founding member of the New Patriotic Party.

Chieftaincy He was made a divisional chief in his hometown Elmina.

Personal life Brodie-Mends enjoyed reading and writing. He was a keen football enthusiast who supported the Cape Coast Venomous Vipers. He was an enthusiast of lawn tennis. He also enjoyed playing draughts with the fishermen in Idan Guam, a fishing village in the Central Region. He was a Christian.

Death Brodie-Mends died after a short illness on 19 January 2013 in Accra.