By John Antwi Boasiako

Copyright otecfmghana

Cecilia Johnson, one of the prominent women in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has died.

Family sources confirmed her death on Monday (22 September), though details surrounding the cause were not disclosed immediately.

Johnson, 79, was a veteran of Ghana’s political scene, remembered for her long service in government and civic life.

She served as the general secretary of the 31st December Women’s Movement, a leading group credited with promoting women’s empowerment in Ghana during the 1980s and 1990s.

She later became the minister of local government under the then president, Jerry John Rawlings, and went on to chair the Council of State, Ghana’s highest advisory body to the presidency.

Johnson’s career earned her recognition as a woman of steel and a member of the NDC’s “old guard” – the generation of leaders who shaped the party from its revolutionary roots to make it a dominant force in Ghanaian politics.

A native of Awua-Domase in the region then known as Brong-Ahafo (now Bono), she was one of 12 children born to Joana Bennett, a famed matriarch.

Tributes are expected from across the political divide, with the passing of Johnson marking the end of a chapter in the democratic history of Ghana and the journey of the NDC.