President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday announced the last batch of ministerial nominees.
Here are brief profiles of the 11 nominees:
PROF. GYAN BAFFOUR – MINISTER FOR PLANNING
Professor George Gyan-Baffour is 65 years old, and is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi.
From July 2002 to December 2004 he was the Director General of The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) of the Republic of Ghana where he oversaw the preparation of the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003-2005) Paper. He introduced the first Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism for assessing the progress of national development called the Annual Progress Report, which is still the monitoring and evaluation tool of the national development Agenda of Ghana. He supervised the preparation of the Coordinated Program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana (2002-2012), which is a constitutional requirement of the President of the Republic of Ghana. He led the team that prepared the first compact of the Millennium
Challenge Account. Before he left for the USA for academic pursuit he worked at the Ministry of Industries Science and Technology from 1974 to 1984 and rose to the rank of Senior Industrial Promotions Officer.
In December 2004, he contested and won the parliamentary election to become the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi. He later became the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning from March 2005 to December 2008.
Since January 2009 he is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wenchi Constituency.
He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Industrial Relations; a Post Doctorate diploma from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; an MA in economic policy from University of Wisconsin, Madison; a BSc. (Hons) degree in Economics from the University of Ghana.
HON. CATHERINE AFEKU – MINISTER FOR TOURISM, ARTS & CULTURE
Catherine Afeku is 49 years old, and our Member of Parliament for Evalue-Gwira-Ajomoro – her 2nd term in parliament. She hails from Axim, and holds Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees in Business Administration. She has worked with the World Bank, with Stico Petroleum in Kenya as a Business Development Consultant, and a bilingual instructor at the Inlingua School of languages, Brescia, Italy. Between 2006 and 2008, she was the NPP government spokesperson on infrastructure.
She is married with 3 children.
MAVIS HAWA KOOMSON – SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Mavis Hawa Koomson is 51 years old, holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the
University of Education, a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA, and is due to obtain a Master’s degree in Public Administration, with a specialization in international relations and diplomacy, after the completion of the programme in January 2017.
She has been a Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East constituency from 2012 to date. Whilst in parliament, she has served as a member of the committees on land and natural resources, and women and gender.She is married with 3 children.
IBRAHIM AWAL MOHAMMED – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Awal Mohammed is 55 years old, an entrepreneur and a marketer. Awal, who was adjudged the Marketing Man of the year, ‘2009’ holds three master’s degrees in various disciplines from different universities. He has Masters in Applied Business Research – Swiss Business School, Switzerland; Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Ghana Business School, Legon; and a Masters in International Journalism from the University of Wales, UK. He is also at the tail end of his doctoral program at the Swiss Business School pursuing doctorate in Business Administration.
Ibrahim Mohammed Awal is the former Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited and Chase Petroleum. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Marble Communications Group Limited, publishers of The Finder Group of Newspapers, HMW printers, Marble Consultants and Marble Developers. He has worked closely with many companies, particularly, with Small and Medium Enterprises, where he offered consultancy services in the areas of business strategy, management, marketing and communications. He has also consulted for diplomatic Missions, international development partners as well as state institutions.
He is married with four children and is also a product of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID – INFORMATION
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid is 45 years old. He holds a Diploma in Education, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies and a Master of Philosophy Degree, also in Religious Studies, all from the University of Cape Coast. He is presently a Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Cape Coast, where he specializes in the areas of Islam & Gender and Political Thought in Islam. Prior to take up teaching, he worked in the media in various capacities as Editor of the High Street Journal, Editor of the Statesman newspaper, News Editor at the then Choice FM and Strategy Planning Manager at Media Majique & Research Systems.
He has published widely in many prestigious academic journals around the world.
In politics, he was National Youth Organiser of the NPP from 2002-2005. He has been
Spokesperson for the President from 2007 to date. He is married with five children.
ISAAC KWAME ASIAMAH – YOUTH & SPORTS
Isaac Kwame Asiamah is 42 years old. He is a Graduate of University of Ghana, Legon with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Resource Development with Political Science.
He holds executive Masters in Governance and Leadership. He entered Parliament in January 2005 at age 29, then as the youngest MP in Parliament on the ticket of the NPP for the Atwima Mponua Constituency in the Ashanti region, and is still the MP. He was a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, rising to become Vice Chairman of the same Committee, and later became the Chairman of the same Committee in his 1st term in Parliament. He has also served on the following Committees: Public Accounts Committee, Finance Committee, Poverty Reduction Committee and Mines and Energy Committee Parliament of Ghana. He is married with four children.
KOFI DZAMESI – CHIEFTAINCY & RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi is 57 years old. He has a first degree in Engineering and holds a diploma in Marketing. He was a former Minister of the Volta Region under the government of President Kufuor, and is National Council member of the NPP. He was the Chairperson of the NPP Campaign Sector Committee on Chieftaincy.
HON. CECILIA DAPAAH – AVIATION
Cecilia Abena Dapaah is 62 years old, and is a leadership development specialist. She is a product of the University of Ghana Legon. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Lingusitics in 1979, and also holds a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School in leadership. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in International Development Studies from the University of Oslo in Norway. Between 2001 and 2006, she was the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Processing Company. She was deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing under President Kufuor’s government, from 2005 to 2006, and became the substantive Minister from 2007 to 2008. Whilst in parliament as MP for Bantama, she served on various committees such as Works and Housing; Advisory Committee to the Speaker; Employment, Social Welfare and Youth; Foreign Affairs; and Special Budget.
BONIFACE ABUBAKAR SADDIQUE – INNER CITY & ZONGO DEVELOPMENT
Boniface Abubakar Siddique is 56 years old. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Essex, MBA in Financial Management from the University of Exeter, MA in Conflict, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Center and a BA in Social Sciences from the KNUST. He worked in the Ministry of Finance for 14 years as an Economic Officer, eventually becoming a Senior Finance Officer. In politics, he has been a two time MP for Salaga from 2001-2009. He also served as Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment and Northern Regional Minister. He is married with three children.
NAA AFOLEY QUAYE – FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE
Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye is 47 years old, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Agribusiness from the Central University College. She also obtained a National Diploma in General Agriculture from the University of Ghana, and a certificate in General Agriculture from the Kwadaso Agricultural College. For over a period of 20 years, she worked as the Principal Production Officer at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. She is currently the Member of Parliament for the Krowor. She is married with 4 children.
OSEI KYEI-MENSAH-BONSU – PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is 59 years old and is an urban planner by profession. He been a Member of Parliament for the Suame Constituency since 1997, and has held several positions in the House, including Secretary to the Minority Caucus (1997-2000); Deputy Majority Whip (2001-2002); Majority Chief Whip (2002-2007); Deputy Majority Leader (2007-2008); and a Minister of State (Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 2007 to 2008). He has chaired the Advisory Board on Water Restructuring at the Ministry of Works and Housing; was a Member of the Board of Directors of the Cocoa Processing Company for 8 years.
He is currently the Chairman of the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption; and is Vice President for the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians against corruption.
He has also served on various committees in parliament, namely the Business Committee, Committee on Selection, Committee on Works and Housing, Committee on Youth and Sports, Committee on Lands and Forestry, Committee on Subsidiary
Legislation; Special Budget Committee; Appointments Committee, and the Standing Orders Committee.
