{{Short description|Ghanaian economist}} '''Andrews Kwame Pianim''' is a Ghanaian economist and investment consultant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ken-Agyapong-backs-Pianim-s-laziness-comment-266635|title=Ken Agyapong backs Pianim's 'laziness' comment|website=www.ghanaweb.com|date=4 March 2013 |language=en|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref> After ten years as a [[political prisoner]], he made a 1996 bid to run for the [[president of Ghana|presidency of Ghana]] on the ticket of the NPP but was disqualified by a Supreme Court decision.
==Early life and family== Pianim attended [[Achimota School]] for his secondary education. He received a B.A. Double Honours in [[Economics]] and Political Science from the [[University of New Brunswick]], [[Canadian dollar|Canada]] (1963) and M.A. in economics from [[Yale University]] (1964), USA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oaa84.com/DinnerDance.aspx |title=Achimota 1984 Year Group - Official Website > Dinner Dance |accessdate=2013-08-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206164433/http://www.oaa84.com/DinnerDance.aspx |archivedate=2013-12-06 }}</ref>
Pianim married a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] woman named Cornelia Pianim. Their youngest son Elkin Kwesi Pianim (born 1970), a [[Vassar College]] trained corporate financier, was married to media heiress [[Elisabeth Murdoch (businesswoman)|Elisabeth Murdoch]]; Kwame Pianim has two grandchildren in common with [[Rupert Murdoch]], namely Cornelia and Anna Pianim.
==Economic and finance career== As an [[economist]], his philosophy is multi-dimensional, but a consistent theme has been the essential incompatibility between the economic agenda of poor nations, or what ought to be their economic agenda, and the priorities of the [[Bretton Woods system]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/bunhill-yorkshires-battle-of-the-big-cheeses-1359267.html|title=BUNHILL : Yorkshire's battle of the big cheeses|date=1996-10-20|work=The Independent|access-date=2017-10-17|language=en-GB}}</ref> Pianim was chairman of the board at [[United Bank for Africa|UBA Ghana]] from the bank's inception in Ghana in 2004 till 2014.<ref>{{cite news| title= Kwame Pianim retires as UBA Chairman|url=https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Kwame-Pianim-retires-as-UBA-Chairman-302781|website=ghanaweb.com|date=8 March 2014|access-date=17 November 2022}}</ref> He has been chairman of the board at Bayport Financial Services since 2002 and has also chaired the boards of Airtel Communications Ghana and e-Tranzact. He has also been school board chair at [[Ghana International School]].<ref>{{citation|title= Bayport Financial Services Ghana Limited Prospectus |url=https://annualreportsghana.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Bayport-Financial-Services-Bond-Prospectus.pdf|website=annualreportsghana.com|year=2015}}</ref>
==Politics== He was arrested with a group of soldiers including Sgt. Akata Pore on 23 November 1982 following the capture of part of Gondar Barracks, [[Burma Camp]] in an apparent abortive coup attempt.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-26 |title=The story of how Kwame Pianim's alleged girlfriend revealed coup plans to Rawlings appointees |url=https://myinfo.com.gh/2022/02/the-story-of-how-kwame-pianims-alleged-girlfriend-revealed-coup-plans-to-rawlings-appointees/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.myinfo.com.gh |language=en-GB}}</ref>
His attempts to contest the 1996 presidential elections on the ticket of the centre-right [[New Patriotic Party]] were scuppered when the [[Supreme court|Supreme Court]] ruled to uphold a controversial law preventing individuals convicted of treasonous acts from holding public office, even if such acts were committed during periods of unconstitutional rule.
Following the Court's decision, he resigned from politics to focus on private activities within the realm of [[development economics]].<ref> {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/24/AR2006072400639_pf.html |title=Ghana Finds Politics at Odds With Economics |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |agency= Washington Post Foreign Service |date=April 16, 1995 |accessdate=October 12, 2016 |last=Buckley |first=Stephen }} </ref>
Following an economic crisis in Ghana under the presidency of [[Nana Akufo-Addo|Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo]], he voiced his concerns about the direction of [[government]] activities in July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DDEP: Akufo-Addo completely ignored my advice – Kwame Pianim |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/ddep-akufo-addo-completely-ignored-my-advice-kwame-pianim |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.myjoyonline.com |date=31 August 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-12 |title=It's going to be difficult for NPP to convince Ghanaians in 2024 — Kwame Pianim |url=https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/its-going-to-be-difficult-for-npp-to-convince-ghanaians-in-2024-kwame-pianim/3kd10xp |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Pulse Ghana |language=en}}</ref>
==Recent activities== In 2001, he was appointed the chairman of the Public Utility Regulation Council (PURC) of Ghana, a high-level commission tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and regulating electricity and water utilities. He resigned in December 2007 as a result of differences with the then ruling NPP government of [[John A. Kufuor]]. He is the President of [[Old Achimotans Association]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oldachimotan.net|title=Old Achimotan Association|website=www.oldachimotan.net|access-date=2017-10-17}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pianim, Kwame}} [[Category:Alumni of Achimota School]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Ghanaian economists]] [[Category:New Patriotic Party politicians]] [[Category:People convicted of treason]] [[Category:Ghanaian prisoners and detainees]] [[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Ghana]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:University of New Brunswick alumni]] [[Category:Yale University alumni]]