Know your newly-appointed ministers by Akufo-Addo

The expectation was premised on the fact that since January 2017, when he took over as Ghana’s president, the president has not, even once, reshuffled his appointees.

But what could not be forced on him by the intense agitations and calls by many citizens, eventually came to his doorsteps when, in a spate of less than a month in 2023, three of his ministers tendered in their resignation letters.

For two of them, Alan Kyerematen, former Minister of Trade and Industry; and Owusu Akoto Afriyie, formerly of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, they had done so to be able to focus on their presidential ambitions.

The third, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, gave medical reasons as grounds for his resignation.

Forced by these vacancies, President Nana Akufo-Addo has just announced new appointments, or call them changes to his government.

Announced on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, the new appointments of the president will see Kobina Tahiru Hammond going to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, while Bryan Acheampong will now head the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Other appointments are Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance; Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government.

Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, is to serve as a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

But who exactly are these new appointees of the president? Below are their profiles and the little GhanaWeb knows about their political lives:

K. T. Hammond

One of the senior-most members of Ghana’s parliament, Kobina Tahir Hammond has been in the Ghanaian political scene for many decades and is well-known for his controversial utterances.

K. T Hammond, as he is affectionately known, is also one of the leading members of the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP), representing it as Member of Parliament for the Adansi-Asokwa constituency in the Ashanti Region.

He first entered parliament in 2001 and has since cemented his place as one of the few unbeaten MPs since they first stepped into the House.

The newly-appointed Minister of Trade and Industry-designate was born on June 16, 1960. As of 2022, he was 62-years-old.

K. T. Hammond holds a first degree in political science from the University of Ghana, Legon; and also holds a professional degree in Law from the Gray’s Inn Law School in the United Kingdom.

He is married to Mrs. Nabeela Naeema Wahab Sahiba, a judge by profession, and they are blessed with children together.

There is no known publicly known information about his parents or siblings.

Bryan Acheampong:

Bryan Acheampong is the Member of Parliament for the Abetifi Constituency. He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs; a Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, the Appointments Committee, and the Selection Committee.

He is a former Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior and the former Minister of State at the Ministry of National Security.

His experience spans Security, Intelligence, Politics, and Business Leadership.

Bryan is a serial entrepreneur, having founded many successful businesses in Agriculture, Technology, Real Estate, Agriculture, Hospitality, and Media. He was an adjunct lecturer in Electronic Business at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for the 2021/2022 academic year.

He is a retired soldier of the US Air Force with training in Anti-Terrorism, Force Protection, Laws of Armed Conflict, Conventional Defence Training, Weapons, Small Arms, and Fuels. His experience spans Security, Intelligence, Politics, and Business Leadership.

He possesses a bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, a PhD, a graduate diploma in law, and other certificates in management, leadership and journalism.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Johnson and Wales University, USA and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Johnson and Wales University, USA, a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Intelligence from Georgetown University, USA, a Master of Arts (MA) in Security and Intelligence from the University of Leicester, UK, and a PhD in Information systems from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He also holds a graduate diploma in law from the University of Laws, certificates in Building, Leading, and Sustaining the Innovative Organization from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Effective Leadership in Management and Administration from the University of Ghana Business School, and Public Relations, Advertising, and Marketing from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

He has worked as an Adjunct Lecturer in Electronic Business at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). In addition, he is a member of the Security Institute, a membership of security professionals.

His foundation, the Bryan Acheampong Foundation, constantly embarks on Agriculture, Poverty Reduction, Health and Education programs.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng

Stephen Asamoah Boateng is a Ghanaian politician and the immediate-past Director-General of the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA). He was a Member of Parliament for the Mfantsiman West constituency of the Central region of Ghana and was the former Minister for Local Government Rural Development and Environment, Tourism, and Diaspora Relations.

He was born on born August 18, 1958, and comes from Konongo in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He had his basic education at the Konongo Methodist primary school, Kormantse District Assembly Middle Schools, and Jasikan Roman Catholic Middle school and then proceeded to the Konongo/Odumase Senior High School.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng holds a degree from there the University of Ghana and a master’s in Business Administration from the Henley Management College Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. While studying for his Masters, he worked as a Marketing Consultant at the American Medical Systems (AMS) of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and a Housing Officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington, Chelsea. He was a public servant as a store assistant at the Ghana Medical Stores in Kumasi.

He started out as a political activist and then became the president of the Madina Students Union and the secretary of the Central Committee of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 1979 to 1982.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng became a member of parliament for the Mfantseman Constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party after contesting in the 2004 general elections. He lost the seat in 2008 to Aquinas Tawiah Quansah of the National Democratic Congress.

In 2017, Stephen Asamoah Boateng was then appointed by Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo as the executive chairman of the State Enterprise Committee.

Until recently, he was the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

Osei Bonsu Amoah

Osei Bonsu Amoah is a Ghanaian politician and a member of the New Patriotic Party. He was the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport and served from 2005 to 2008 and Ghana’s current Member of Parliament for the Akwapim South constituency in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

He was born on August 15, 1961, and hails from Aburi, Eastern Region of Ghana.

He is a product of Prempeh College and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Law from the University of Ghana, which he obtained in 1985, and a Bachelor of Law degree from the Ghana School of Law in 1995.

Osei Bonsu Amoah was a Special Assistant at the Office of the President from 2001 to 2004 and the Deputy Minister for Education and Sports from 2005 to 2009.

Before going to parliament, Amoah worked as the Inspector of Taxes, IRS between 1988 and 1996.

Stephen Amoah

Stephen Amoah is a Ghanaian politician and the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso. He is also a member of the New Patriotic Party.

He attended the Opoku Ware School, Kumasi, for his secondary school education. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Finance Management from the University of Derby, United Kingdom.

Stephen Amoah served as the Chief Finance Officer of Kencity. He was also the Deputy National Coordinator of the National Insurance Authority (NHIA). He was appointed in February 2017 by President Akufo-Addo as the Chief Executive Officer for the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).

In the 2020 general elections, he contested the NPP primaries and won the seat in Nhyiaeso, defeating Kennedy Kwasi Kankam. He has since been the MP for the constituency.

Mohammed Amin Adam

Mohammed Amin Adam is the current Deputy Minister of Energy, and Member of Parliament for Karaga.

He has demonstrated experience of working in the public policy industry.

He is also a strong petroleum and energy economics professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused on petroleum fiscal systems, fiscal policy in petroleum led economies, and institutional development from CEPMLP, University of Dundee.