C. T. Nylander

Clarkson Thomas Nylander was a Ghanaian educationist, diplomat and politician. He served as a minister of state and a member of parliament during the first republic. He was a minister of education and minister of state for defence. He was also a member of parliament for the Dangbe-Shai electoral district and later the Ga Rural electoral district. He later represented Ghana in various foreign missions from 1961 to 1969.

Clarkson Thomas Nylander
Member of Parliament for Ablekuma^[1]
In office 1969–1972
Preceded by	Sophia Doku^[2]
Succeeded by	Adotey Nelson-Cofie^[3]
Ambassador of Ghana to Liberia
In office 1966–1969
President	Joseph Arthur Ankrah
Preceded by	H. A. H. Grant^[4]
Succeeded by	C. O. C. Amate^[5]
Ambassador of Ghana to Yugoslavia
In office 1964–1966
President	Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	S. W. Kumah^[6]
Succeeded by	K. B. Griwa^[7]
Ghana High Commissioner to Canada^[8]
In office 1961–1964
President	Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Succeeded by	S. P. O. Kumi^[9]
Minister of Education
In office 1958–1959
President	Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	John Bogolo Erzuah
Succeeded by	Kofi Baako (Minister for Information and Education)
Member of Parliament for Ga Rural^[10]
In office 1956–1961
Preceded by	Mabel Dove Danquah^[11]
Succeeded by	Tawia Adamafio
Member of Parliament for Dangbe-Shai
In office 1954–1956
Succeeded by	Edward Ago Ackam^[12]
Personal details
Born	Clarkson Thomas Nylander 1905 Gold Coast
Nationality	Ghanaian

Early life and education

Nylander was born in 1905 in the Gold Coast. He had his early education at the Accra Methodist School and in Government schools in Accra and Kumasi. He continued at the Government Training College in Accra in 1925 as a foremost student to train as a teacher.^[13][14][15]

Career and politics

Nylander begun teaching at Achimota School from 1926 to 1953. He was appointed an assistant education officer in 1952. Nylander gave up teaching to pursue a career in politics. In 1954 he was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the Dangbe-Shai electoral district on the ticket of the Convention People's Party.^[11] He was re-elected in 1956, this time as a member for the Ga Rural electoral district.^[16] He served in this capacity for the district until 1961 when he was absorbed into foreign service. In 1956 he was appointed Ministerial Secretary (deputy minister) for the Ministry of Interior^[17][15] and a year later he was appointed as Minister of Education.^[18] He served in this capacity for about two years and in 1959 he was made a Minister of State for Defence.^[16][13] During the elections of the second republic he stood for the Ablekuma seat on the ticket of the National Alliance of Liberals and won.^[19][14] He served in this capacity until 1972 when the Busia government was overthrown.

Ambassadorial duties

He was appointed Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada in 1961.^[20][21] He served in this capacity for about three years. In 1964 he was made Ghana's ambassador to Yugoslavia.^[22] He served in this capacity until 1966 when the Nkrumah government was overthrown. He remained in foreign service serving as Ghana's ambassador to Liberia^[23] from 1966 to 1969 when the NLC government handed over power to a civilian regime.^[14]

Personal life

He married Florence Nylander in January 1931. Together they had seven children. He is the father of Ladi Nylander, who was a member of the Convention People's Party (CPP) Central Committee between 2004 and 2011.^[24] He is also the father of the late Mrs. Doris Naa Lamiley Asherker Decker (née Nylander), who was formerly of the Ghana Library Board.^[25] His hobbies included music and singing.^[13]

References

1. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1970: 56. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. "Parliamentary Debates; Official Report, Part 2". Ghana National Assembly. 1965: 8. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. "West Africa, Issues 3233–3258". Afrimedia International. 1979: 1910. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1966–67: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 471. ISBN 9780230270954.
5. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1970–71: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 408. ISBN 9780230270992.
6. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1970–71: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 515. ISBN 9780230270923.
7. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1967–68: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 457. ISBN 9780230270961.
8. "Ghana Year Book". Daily Graphic: 42. 1964.
9. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1965–66: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 470. ISBN 9780230270947.
10. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1961: 17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
11. Michael Eli Dokosi,"The electoral victories and shock losses of the 1954 Gold Coast election", blakkpepper, 2 July 2016.
12. "Ghana Year Book". Graphic Corporation. 1961: 12. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
13. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 202. 1960.
14. Danquah, Moses (1969). The Birth of the Second Republic. p. 107.
15. "Ghana Year Book". Daily Graphic: 152. 1956.
16. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 7 and 11. 1960.
17. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 7. 1957.
18. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 13. 1958.
19. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 56. 1971.
20. "Ghana Year Book". Google books. Graphic Corporation: 68. 1962.
21. "Ghana Gazette". Google books. National government publication: 123. 1963.
22. "Asia & Africa Review, Volumes 5–6". Google books. Independent Publishing Company. 1965.
23. Steinburg, S. (1965). The Statesman's Year-Book 1967–68: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. p. 457.
24. Razak El-Alawa,"'The other side of Ladi Nylander", Graphic Online, 27 January 2018.
25. Audrey Quaye (29 April 2016). "Mrs. Doris Naa Lamiley Asherker Decker passes on". GhanaDot.com. Retrieved 11 October 2019.