Krobo Edusei, a charismatic and outspoken figure in Ghana’s fight for independence, earned a massive following among the Ashanti people.
Edusei, as a key associate of President Kwame Nkrumah activism electrified support for the independence movement, making him a decisive member in Ghana’s struggle for independence in 1957.
As a close and loyal member of Kwame Nkrumah, Krobo Edusei earned prominent roles in the Nkrumah administration, including Interior Minister (1957), Minister of Transport and Communications (1962), and Agriculture Minister (1963).
However, the $8,400 Golden Bed, which rocked Ghana to the core of the Nkrumah administration, quickly became the downfall of Krobo Edusei.
The $8,400 Golden Bed scandal in 1962, involving the wife of Krobo Edusei, Mary Edusei, led to the fall of his ministerial career.
Mary Edusei, in 1962, shockingly purchased an $8,400 “Golden Bed” from a department store in London, which ignited outrage in Ghana.
Edusei, in an attempt to reason with his wife to return the golden bed, travelled to London to convince her to return the bed.
According to reports, Krobo Edusei stated, “An $8,400 bed had no place in Ghana.”
Krobo Edusei was widely loved by many Ghanaians, including his boss, Kwame Nkrumah, for his expertise and loyalty became a subject of intense scrutiny in public discussion as many critiqued his decision.
His critics argued that the minister’s purchase of an $8,400 bed was an insult to Ghana’s economy program, sparking protests in the country.
The scandal exploded into a full-blown enquiry, with Krobo Edusei’s wealth coming under inquiry.
Reports exposed Krobo Edusei as owning properties worth $1,400,000 in London and Accra, despite his reasonable annual salary of $13,550.
Ghanaians began asking questions due to his stark contrast between his lifestyle and Ghana’s simplicity measures, which increased public rage.
The $8,400 bed scandal tarnished Edusei’s once-stellar reputation and also exposed the issues of corruption among government officials and Kwame Nkrumah’s ministers.
In a decisive move, President Nkrumah fired Krobo Edusei following the scandal, marking the end of his ministerial career.
The humiliation caused by the scandal was too significant for Nkrumah’s government to disregard.
The scandal painted the escalating corruption within the Nkrumah government, leaving a lasting stain on Krobo Edusei’s political legacy in Ghana’s history.