Erica Powell OBE, who was the Private Secretary to Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana and later to Siaka Stevens , President of Sierra Leone, died last month at the age of 86. She died at Peterborough on June 5, 2007. She was made an MBE in 1958 and OBE in 1960. Erica was born on March 15, 1921 at Brighton in Sussex England into a middle class family. She trained as a secretary and then as a teacher. She worked with Barclays Bank during World War II. She was the top candidate in the 1940 London Chamber of Commerce Shorthand and Typewriting exams. In February 1952, the Crown Agents for the Colonies offered her the position of "Private Secretary (Female)/ Gold Coast " which later became the title of her autobiography. She ended up working as the Private Secretary to the Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Charles Arden-Clarke . While working for the Governor, she became a close friend and confidant of Kwame Nkrumah, then bidding for Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom. Her closeness to Nkrumah led to her being dismissed in 1954 and being sent back to the UK.
 OBE, who was the Private Secretary to , and later to , President of Sierra Leone, died last month at the age of 86. She died at on June 5, 2007. She was made an in 1958 and in 1960. Erica was born on March 15, 1921 at in Sussex England into a middle class family. She trained as a secretary and then as a teacher. She worked with during World War II. She was the top candidate in the 1940 Shorthand and Typewriting exams. In February 1952, the Crown Agents for the Colonies offered her the position of "Private Secretary (Female)/ " which later became the title of her autobiography. She ended up working as the Private Secretary to the , . While working for the Governor, she became a close friend and confidant of Kwame Nkrumah, then bidding for Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom. Her closeness to Nkrumah led to her being dismissed in 1954 and being sent back to the UK.
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Erica Powell
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Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana
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Siaka Stevens
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Peterborough
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MBE
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OBE
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Brighton
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Barclays Bank
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London Chamber of Commerce
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Gold Coast
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Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Charles Arden-Clarke
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