According to him, such appointments will help the young ones to be nurtured and their skills utilized for the development of the country.

“AFAG wants to urge the President-Elect and the appointing authority to look within the pool of the NPP to ensure that young people of excellent standard and virtue who form a sizeable number of the human resource at the nation’s disposal are identified nurtured,” AFAG said in a statement.

[contextly_sidebar id=”s9ZCDhvYy5fHZdKlc2fuyU7ECrXER8G6″]The statement comes on the back of administrative staff announced by Akufo-Addo on Wednesday.

About four persons considered to be very youthful made it into Akufo-Addo’s list of 13 appointments he made including Francis Asenso-Boakye and Samuel Abu Jinapor, both Deputy Chiefs of Staff,  Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency and Clara Napaga Sulemana Tia, a Presidential Staffer.

He also named Akosua Frema Osei-Opare as his Chief of Staff.

AFAG in the statement said it is impressed and content with the new appointees.

“AFAG is content with the quality of appointments made so far by President-Elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. As an institution that cherishes good governance, we are impressed with the brilliant men and women of substance that would be manning the office of the president.”

“The appointment of the first female Chief of Staff is laudable and it deserves commendation of the highest esteem. Also, the inclusion of vibrant and result orientated youth who distinguished themselves in service to the nation should also be celebrated. These sharp young minds must be properly nurtured by the best senior citizens to ensure the continuity of the moral fibre of our Ghanaian society,” AFAG added.

Ofosu-Kwakye questions Nana Addo’s appointment of young people

Meanwhile, the outgoing Deputy Minister of Communications, Felix Ofosu-Kwakye, has questioned the rationale for the appointment of young persons in Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, considering that he and his young colleagues were heavily criticized by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to him, when President John Mahama and late President John Mills took the same decision, they were condemned by the NPP.

“It is unfortunate that when President Mills and President Mahama gave opportunities to young persons to contribute to national development persons in the opposition and some surrogates of theirs sought to bastardize them and did not allow them the opportunity to make that contribution. Here we are the President-elect has appointed at least three people within their circles to serve in his government and the same people who derided others appointed by President Mills and President Mahama are now falling over themselves to uphold the image and integrity of these young men,” he noted.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Appoint more youth – AFAG to Nana Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Akufo-Addo on Wednesday in announcing his administrative staff named Mr. Jinapor and Francis Asenso-Boakye as deputies to the first female Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.

He also made other appointments including his Secretary, Director of Operations, Director of Communications at the Presidency among others.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rXnCIeA3iZYtKe9ZtJaDvVDtLbd3mA8a”]An elated Jinapor while expressing his excitement over the appointment on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News, said he will discharge his duties as expected of him.

“…this is extraordinary confidence he’s reposed in me, it’s not a decision that is taken lightly so you dare not let the president down. I intend not to let his government down, I intend not to let the people of this country down, and for that matter not to let myself down. I intend to bring the best that anyone can on the table in this regard,” he added.

Some members of the New Patriotic Party, which will take over the administration of Ghana on January 7, 2016, took to social media to criticize Akufo-Addo’s decision to appoint Jinapor for such a position, prior to the official announcement.

But in his response, Mr. Jinapor said he takes such criticisms in good faith because it challenges him to even do better.

“There were those observations, apprehensions and criticisms; but this is the way I come to it; I think that everybody is entitled to their view in a democracy and therefore I respect the views expressed. We all cannot agree on a particular issue. The most important thing is that the President-elect had expressed enormous confidence in me and I’m very grateful.”

“There are many others who want the president to succeed and therefore they are allowed to have apprehensions and anxiety. I just take that as a challenge and the way I see it is to first of all not to let the president down,” Mr. Jinapor added.

About Jinapor

Samuel Abu Jinapor is 33 years old. He first graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.

He earned a Bachelor’s of Law from the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, in 2010, and was subsequently called to the Ghanaian Bar as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2012.

In addition, Mr. Jinapor is expected to earn a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from the Faculty of Law, University Of Ghana, in May, 2017.

He is a member of the reputable commercial and corporate law firm, Messrs. Kulendi @ Law. He has been since his undergraduate days, a close aide of the President-Elect.

He is married with one child.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post I won’t let Akufo-Addo down – Abu Jinapor appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He is expected to take over the administration of the country from January 7, 2017,.

Announcing the staff at his Nima residence in Accra, Nana Akufo-Addo named Frema Osei-Opare as his Chief of Staff. She becomes the first female to take up that position.

Nana Addo also named renowned lawyer, Nana Bediatuo Asante as his Executive Secretary, while Eugene Arhin was named Director of Communications at the Presidency.

Others names are: Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere – National Secretary Advisor.  Nana Addo also dropped the name of Kan Dapaah, as his incoming Minister for National Security.

Below is the profile of the list of the 12 appointees

BRIGADIER GENERAL EMMANUEL OKYERE – NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR 

Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere is a military engineer and holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Governance and Leadership from GIMPA. He’s also a graduate of the Ghana Military Academy, has a solid military background, having done almost 40 years of distinguished service with the colours.

He served in various capacities in both the military and local government. He served as the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly from 1995 to 1996; and from 2006 to 2010, he was the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command

JOSHUA KYEREMEH – NATIONAL SECURITY CO-ORDINATOR

Joshua Kyeremeh is a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and a former Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

He worked at the BNI for about 22 years, where he served at command levels in the Northern, Upper East, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.

He also served as head of the Investigations Unit of the Bureau. He rose to become the Deputy Director BNI and ultimately, the Director BNI from 2005 to 2009.

AKOSUA FREMA OSEI-OPARE – CHIEF OF STAFF

Akosua Frema Opare, 69, is a development consultant and a labour and employment expert, with 40 years of experience in these fields.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Science from the University of Ghana, and a Master’s degree in Foods, from the University of Guelph, Canada.

She was a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, from 1976-1982; Consultant for the United Nations in the ‘Women in Fisheries’ programme in countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Congo, Kenya and Namibia.

She was also Deputy Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment from 2005 to 2008, under the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor. She was a two-term Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon.

She is married with 4 children.

NANA BEDIATUO ASANTE – SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT

Nana Bediatuo Asante is a 53 year old lawyer with over 20 years experience practicing law.

He was educated in Ghana, the United Kingdom and the United States, where he obtained a Doctor of Law degree from the New York University of Law.

He was called to the bar in New York, Ghana and is a member of both bars.

He is currently the Managing Partner at Ampem Chambers, a corporate law firm in Ghana.

He is married with four children.

VICTOR NEWMAN – DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

Victor Newman is 69 years old.

He is an economist, consultant, financial and research analyst. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agric Economics, with postgraduate qualifications in development planning and budget and financial management.

He has worked at the Economic Research and Planning Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Western Castings Limited, and the Ghanaexim Economic Consultants.

From 2008 till 2016, he has served as the Director of Research for the President-Elect’s electioneering campaigns.

He is married with four children.

FRANCIS ASENSO-BOAKYE – POLITICAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT & DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF

Francis Asenso-Boakye is 39 years old, and holds a B.Sc. degree in Development Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

He has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration degree from the Michigan State University, and a Certificate in Public Sector Management from Tulane University, Louisiana, USA.

He is a development planning, project management, and policy specialist, with over 15 years of wide-ranging professional experience in his field, and has worked at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, Global Media Alliance, Delta Acquisitions, USA, and the Ghana Free Zones Board, amongst others. Francis Asenso-Boakye has been Political Assistant to the President-Elect since 2008.

He is married with 3 children.

SAMUEL ABU JINAPOR – DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF

Samuel Abu Jinapor is 33 years old. He first graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.

He earned a Bachelor’s of Law from the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, in 2010, and was subsequently called to the Ghanaian Bar as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2012.

In addition, Mr. Jinapor is expected to earn a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from the Faculty of Law, University Of Ghana, in May, 2017.

He is a member of the reputable commercial and corporate law firm, Messrs. Kulendi @ Law. He has been, since, his undergraduate days, a close aide of the President-Elect.

He is married with one child.
AMBASSADOR HASSAN AHMED – DIRECTOR OF STATE PROTOCOL

Hassan Ahmed is 62 years old.

He holds a Master’s Degree from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and has been a career diplomat with Ghana’s Diplomatic Service for 34 years, having served in Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Cuba and Japan, where he was Deputy Chief of Mission.

He was Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when the President-Elect was Foreign Minister. His last posting was to the Islamic Republic of Iran, where he served as Ghana’s Ambassador from 2008 to 2012.

In 2013, he took an appointment with the United Nations as the Head of Office for the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), Khartoum, Sudan, a position he still holds.

He is married with four children.

EUGENE ARHIN – DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Eugene Arhin is 33 years old.

He graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Engineering.

He worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Materials Engineering for a year, and joined the Danquah Institute as a Research Analyst in 2008.

He was with the Institute until February 2014 when he became Press Secretary to the President Elect.

He is married with one child.

LORD OBLITEY COMMEY – DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Lord Oblitey Commey, 48, is an accomplished entrepreneur and an astute politician known for his tactical, operational and organisational acumen. He was National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for eight years. Prior to that, he served as the Greater Accra Regional Secretary for the party.

In 2012, he was Director of Operations for the NPP presidential campaign, and, in 2016, he worked in the office of the President-Elect as the officer responsible for Monitoring and Compliance.

He is married and has three children.

SARATU ATTA – PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT

Saratu Atta is 53 years old. She is a graduate of the University of Warwick, UK, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and International Studies.

She worked as a Securities Trader at First Securities Discount House in Lagos, Nigeria from 1993 -1997, and then went on to establish her own security printing company in Lagos.

She was appointed NPP Campaign Secretary in 2008, and has been Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the President-Elect since 2009.

She has one child.

CLARA NAPAGA SULEMANA TIA – PRESIDENTIAL STAFFER

Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana is 30 years old.

She is a graduate of the University for Development Studies, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development studies, specialising in social, political and historical studies.

She worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a year, and has also worked on contract with the Ghana Health service and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on maternal health issues.

She was a campaign aide to the President-Elect during the 2016 electioneering campaign.

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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Profile of Nana Addo’s administrative staff [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.