NPP Chairmanship race: Bongo NPP endorses Prof Ameyaw Akumfi

The Council of Elders of the Bongo constituency in Upper East Regio has commended Prof Ameyaw Akumfi for his firm decision to contest the national chairmanship position of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

They have declared their support for his bid to lead the ruling party.

Speaking on behalf of the council of Elders at the Bongo Constituency over the weekend, a former DCE for Bongo, Hon. Clement Apiekia said they’re living witnesses of the good works of Prof Ameyaw Akumfi as former Education Minister as well as the role he played during his tenure as a Minister of Ports and Harbours.

Hon. Clement Apiekia urged the aspirants to eschew smear campaign or public utterances that could provide political weapons for the opposition National Democratic Congress for the 2024 electioneering campaign.

“Prof Ameyaw Akumfi is very disciplined, committed and easily accessible personality and as the saying goes the early bird catches the wind so as you have come to see and pay homage to us first, we will also support you 100% for your chairmanship bid for some of us were very happy when we heard you are contesting”, he said.

Prof Ameyaw Akumfi after joining the Vice president Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Ministers of State, Party Executives and the grassroot supporters of the New Patriotic Party to bid the final funeral rite of the late Upper East Regional Youth Organiser Solomon Latif at Bongo took time to pay a courtesy call on the council of elders in the constituency.

On his part, Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi indicated that he would also put up proper structures to push for a ‘standing army’ in the party that would be ready to work and sacrifice consistently to improve on the existing structures of the party. “I believe that the youth in our party should be given the opportunity to serve. They should support the youth to design policies to encourage youth participation in the organization of the party,” he added.

He said under his leadership an enabling environment would be created for all persons willing to contest party positions to have a free and fair process instead of imposing preferred candidates on members.

He gave assurance that he will build party on discipline, commitment and accessibility for all.

Profile

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi is an educationist.

He was born on January 21, 1945 in Techiman into the Ohene Ameyaw royal family to his father, Nana Akumfi Ameyaw III, then the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area and the Chief proponent for the creation of the erstwhile Brong-Ahafo Region in the year 1959.

He had his primary and middle school education at Nkwaeso and Techiman Methodist schools respectively.

He attended the Adisadel College in Cape-Coast in 1959 for his GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels before entering the University of Ghana in 1965, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (Zoology & Biochemistry) in 1968, Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons) in 1969 and MSc (Zoology) in 1970.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi pursued further education at the University of Michigan in 1972 and obtained a Master of Science (MSc.) in Zoology and PhD in Zoology in 1976.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi is well known in academia with over 30 years involvement, lectureship and evolutionary educational policy and reforms.

He started his career as a young lecturer at the University of Cape Coast in 1970.

Inspired by his penchant for success, he rose through the ranks within a short space of time to become Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and full professorship in 1991.

He was appointed as the Head of the Zoology Department in 1987 and in the same year, became the coordinator for the Semester and Course Unit System, which was first introduced into university education in Ghana by the University of Cape Coast and integrated into the academic registry of Universities in the country.

He coordinated the production of academic programmes for the University College of Education Winneba (UCEW). He was the leader of delegation of UCC/UEW to the University of Eastern Washington, USA, for the establishment of linkage and exchange programmes for the benefit of faculty and students.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi was appointed a policy advisor to the Ministry of Education and was a member of the Education Minister’s team to North Carolina State University for the establishment of linkages among universities within the ‘Triangle’.

He was a one-time Director General of Ghana Education Service as well as Minister of Education.