By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 13, GNA – The two newly sworn-in Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC), Ms Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah, bring extensive expertise in electoral governance, public administration, law, finance and institutional management to the Commission.
President John Dramani Mahama on Monday swore the two officials into office to fill vacancies created by the departure of former Deputy Chairpersons Dr Bossman Eric Asare and Mr Samuel Tettey.
Their appointments were made in accordance with Article 43 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides for two Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission, and Article 70(2), which mandates their appointment by the President on the advice of the Council of State.
Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah
Dr Asamoah brings to the role significant experience in election administration, having held several senior management positions at the Electoral Commission.
During his tenure at the Commission, he served as Director of Finance, Director of the EC Training Centre and Head of Audit, overseeing financial management, staff capacity-building and institutional accountability.
He was actively involved in the conduct of the 2012 and 2016 general elections, as well as district-level polls and other electoral activities across the country.
A lawyer, chartered accountant and academic, Dr Asamoah lectures in the Department of Commercial Law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He has also taught at other tertiary institutions and contributed to the professional training of election administrators.
His academic credentials include PhD in Political Economy and Diplomacy, Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Commercial and Corporate Law, Master’s Degree in Accounting and Finance, and undergraduate degrees in Law and Accounting.
His professional interests span electoral governance, public finance, legal practice and election security.
Emelia Afi Agbenyo
Ms Agbenyo is a seasoned development practitioner whose career has focused on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), skills development, gender inclusion and international development cooperation.
Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations at the Ghana TVET Service, where she played a key role in implementing skills development policies, coordinating strategic partnerships and overseeing the operations of technical and vocational institutions.
Her professional experience includes roles at the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), the German development agency GIZ Ghana and the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.
At GIZ, she worked on initiatives aimed at expanding access to technical and vocational education, particularly for women and other disadvantaged groups.
She also co-authored Ghana’s disability- and gender-inclusive TVET manual, a resource designed to promote greater accessibility and inclusiveness within vocational education.
Ms Agbenyo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Ghana and a Master of Arts degree in Education Management and Leadership. Her career has also encompassed policy development, institutional leadership and stakeholder engagement.
She has served as a Commissioner of the National Development Planning Commission and held a number of other governance-related positions.
The appointments bring a blend of electoral, legal, financial, administrative and development expertise to the Electoral Commission, the constitutional body responsible for conducting and supervising public elections and referendums in Ghana.
As Deputy Chairpersons, Dr Asamoah and Ms Agbenyo are expected to support the Commission’s leadership and contribute to the effective delivery of its constitutional mandate.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Biye-Doe
Reporter: Edward Acquah
[email protected]