President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in the newly appointed Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei.
Mrs Osei was sworn in on Tuesday at the Flagstaff House.
Some of the chairmen of the various political parties including the New Patriotic Party’s Paul Afoko were in attendance.
Charlotte Osei becomes the first woman to head the commission, taking over from Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan who was in charge for nearly two decades.
She tended in her resignation as Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education on Monday 29th June 2015.
She is a lawyer with experience in public service management and institutional reform.
[contextly_sidebar id=”hb9OpLyBovKOYcZfAwWHDDQ4FEstnM3K”]She also has expertise in corporate law, banking, insurance project financing and public-private partnership.
Her appointment has been met with mixed reactions as some believe, she lacks the experience to occupy such a position.
Others have also criticised the President since her appointment, saying he failed to consult the Council of State before appointing her.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has however watered down those criticisms, saying he did not breach the law.
Below is the full CV of the new EC Chairperson
Career Summary
2011 – Chairperson, National Commission for Civic Education
Providing education to Ghanaians on their civic rights and responsibilities, voter education and knowledge of Ghana’s Constitution in order to strengthen Ghana’s democracy. Involves managing 1700+ staff in over 200 offices nationwide.
2005 – 2011 Founder and Lead Counsel, Prime Attorneys (Business Lawyers)
2002 – 2005 General Counsel & Company Secretary, Unibank (Ghana) Limited, Accra
1997 – 2002 Senior Legal Officer, Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd
1997 – 2003 Lecturer (Part-time) [Commercial Law, Company Law, Law of Contracts] Faculty of Law, University of Ghana
1994 – 1997 Associate Barrister and Solicitor, Laryea, Laryea & Company, Accra
1994 – 1995 Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon
Director / Board-level Experience
2014 – Present Member, Advisory Board, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
2012 – Present Vice Chair, African Capacity Building Foundation, Harare, Zimbabwe
2012 – Present Member, Board of Governors, Dominion University College, Accra
2009 – Present Non-Executive Director, Ghana Reinsurance Company Ltd
2009 – 2012 Non-Executive Director, Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd
Education and Qualifications
Masters (MBL) Business Leadership, University of South Africa, Pretoria (2006)
Masters (LLM) Law, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada (1996)
Qualifying Certificate Law, Practicing Certificate to work as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana (1994)
LLB (Hons) Law, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (1992) (Second Class Upper Division)
Awards
1996 Faculty of Law, Queen’s University, Canada
E.S. Aidoo/Ghana School of Law, Best Student in Conveyancing & Drafting
1994 F.K. Apaloo/Ghana School of Law, Best Student in Company Law & Practice
1992 Ghana Bar Association, Excellence, LLB Final Examinations, University of Ghana
1991 Volta Hall Award, Best Arts Results, First University Examinations, University of Ghana
Professional Development/ Certificates
Notary Public, Republic of Ghana (2010)
Structuring & Negotiating Legal Agreements for PPP Projects: Concession Law, Procurement and Contracts, Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA (2009)
PPP Skills & Competency Development, Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA (2009)
Basic & Advanced Securities, Securities Selling & Investment Advice, Ghana Stock Exchange, Accra (1997)
Publications
- “Challenges Facing Ghanaian Youth” Paper presented at the 61st Annual New Year School, University of Ghana. January 2010
- “Governance in the Past Fifty Years & Challenges for the Future: Examining The Relevance of Ghana’s Educational Policies” Paper presented at the 58th Annual New Year School, University of Ghana. January 2007
- “An Assessment of the National Labour Commission of Ghana” 2006. Unpublished dissertation submitted to the University of South Africa
- “Citizenship, Customary Law and a Gendered Jurisprudence: A Socio-Legal Perspective.” C. Kesson-Smith and W. Tettey (2001. Wisdom Tettey et al. Critical Perspectives on Politics and Socio-Economic Development in Ghana, Leiden, Brill Publishers)
- “Remedies for International Sellers of Goods in Ghana” (1998: Centre for International Legal Studies: Release 3 July, 1998 on “Remedies for International Sellers of Goods”)
- “Reclaiming Ourselves’” Re-examining the Status of Ghanaian Women Under Customary Law.” 1996. Unpublished dissertation submitted to Queen’s University, Canada
- “Property Rights of Widows in Ghana- An Assessment of the Intestate Succession Law, PNDCL 111.
–
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah