Speaker Bagbin Celebrates Doli-Wura's Journey from Shoeshine Boy to Transformational Leader

Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has paid glowing tribute to Chief Dr. Doli-Wura Awushi Abdul-Malik Seidu Zakaria, describing him as a leader with a “Midas touch” whose exceptional leadership has transformed every institution he has served.

Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the launch of Dr. Doli-Wura’s autobiography, Rebuilding Confidence, Restoring Strength, Speaker Bagbin said the author’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful businessman, traditional leader and public servant offers invaluable lessons for Ghana’s next generation of leaders.

The autobiography chronicles Dr. Doli-Wura’s life story, entrepreneurial journey and leadership, particularly his role in steering the National Investment Bank (NIB) through one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Addressing a distinguished audience at the launch, Speaker Bagbin praised Dr. Doli-Wura’s outstanding contributions to both the public and private sectors, citing his service at the West Gonja District Assembly, the Land Title Registry, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and several successful private enterprises.

“Chief Dr. Doli-Wura is a man with a Midas touch,” the Speaker declared, adding that every institution entrusted to his leadership benefited from his vision, discipline and commitment to excellence.

The Speaker disclosed that his relationship with Dr. Doli-Wura had evolved over the years from friendship into brotherhood, giving him the opportunity to witness many of the author’s transformational initiatives firsthand.

One of those achievements, he noted, was the establishment of Aisha Hospital in Tamale, a project he said was inspired not by profit but by compassion for the people of northern Ghana.

“I watched him build Aisha Hospital in Tamale, not for profit, but to save the lives of families in the north who had been driving the whole length of this country to Accra for care that should have been available at their doorsteps,” Speaker Bagbin said.

As Life Patron of Aisha Hospital, Speaker Bagbin said he had seen how Dr. Doli-Wura consistently identified community challenges and transformed them into opportunities that created jobs, generated tax revenue and improved livelihoods.

He also highlighted the author’s inspiring personal journey, recalling that Dr. Doli-Wura once sold kerosene and worked as a shoeshine boy before rising to become one of Ghana’s respected business leaders.

According to the Speaker, those early struggles equipped him with empathy and a practical understanding of leadership from the grassroots.

“When the nation doubted whether a man who had never worked in a bank could rescue a drowning national bank, I did not share the doubt for a single moment,” Speaker Bagbin stated.

He explained that Dr. Doli-Wura’s broad entrepreneurial experience had prepared him to tackle the enormous challenge of leading the National Investment Bank despite having no traditional banking background.

The Speaker noted that the author’s business interests, including M&M Zamar, SAM ZM Company Ltd., Clinton and Boresa Consult Ltd., Excel Links Consult, Global Dream Hotel and Aisha Hospital, demonstrate the diverse leadership experience that later proved invaluable at NIB.

Reflecting on the book, Speaker Bagbin said Rebuilding Confidence, Restoring Strength is much more than a personal memoir.
He described it as an important work on leadership, institutional accountability and public trust, arguing that it provides practical lessons for rebuilding struggling state-owned enterprises.

The Speaker lamented Ghana’s weak reading and book-writing culture, observing that countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have made greater investments in documenting the experiences of their leaders.

He stressed that quality publications such as Dr. Doli-Wura’s autobiography contributes significantly to the country’s intellectual development.

Using the National Investment Bank as a case study, Speaker Bagbin recounted how Parliament established mm NIB in 1963 as Ghana’s first development finance institution to drive industrialisation and economic growth.

He recalled that the bank had played a pivotal role in financing major businesses, including Nestlé Ghana, Aluworks and several hotels, while also contributing to the establishment of what later became the Agricultural Development Bank.

However, he said the institution eventually suffered severe governance and financial setbacks, noting that by 2024 it had reportedly gone more than a decade without publishing audited financial accounts.

According to the Speaker, the lessons from NIB extend far beyond one institution and should serve as a wake-up call for many state-owned enterprises facing similar governance challenges.

He warned that injecting capital into poorly managed institutions without first addressing governance weaknesses would only result in further waste of public resources.

“Yes, the author received his recapitalisation. But he reckoned that if you pour money into an institution with broken governance, the money only leaks into an unretrievable abyss,” he said.

Speaker Bagbin emphasised that NIB’s recovery was driven not merely by financial support but by discipline, transparency, accountability and sound governance structures.
He urged leaders of state-owned enterprises to embrace responsible leadership and strengthen accountability mechanisms to restore public confidence in government institutions.

The Speaker also expressed concern that persistent mismanagement within some public institutions had contributed to growing public cynicism about Ghana’s development prospects, but said NIB’s turnaround demonstrates that institutional renewal is achievable with the right leadership.

Recommending the book to public officials, young professionals and aspiring leaders, Speaker Bagbin described the autobiography as essential reading for anyone interested in public-sector transformation and nation-building.

“If Chief Dr. Doli-Wura’s good leadership could reset NIB, His Excellency John Mahama’s exemplary leadership will certainly transform this country,” he remarked.

He urged Ghanaians not only to celebrate the publication but to purchase and read the book.
“Please buy it. Read it. Press it into the hands of every young public servant you know.”

Speaker Bagbin congratulated Chief Dr. Doli-Wura Awushi Abdul-Malik Seidu Zakaria on the publication of the autobiography and also commended the Board, management and staff of the National Investment Bank, whom he described as the true partners in the institution’s remarkable recovery.