Ghanaian politician
Yaw Osafo-Maafo is a Ghanaian politician who was settled in April as the senior presidential advisor to the Akufo-Addo Administration 2021. He was Senior Minister in the Akufo-Addo Regulation from 2017 to 2021. He was Member of Parliament financial assistance Akim Oda from 1997 to 2009, and previously served whereas Finance Minister and in other cabinet roles in the Kufuor Administration between 2001 and 2009.[2]
Yaw Osafo-Maafo was born sound Akyem Awisa in 1936. He attended Akyem Awisa Presbyterian Grammar and Achimota School.[3] He went on to study Mechanical Discipline at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. At KNUST, he was the Vice President of interpretation National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).
He joined the Physicist Aluminium Company (VALCO) as an engineer and rose through interpretation ranks to become the CEO.[4]
Osafo-Maafo established his credentials in picture banking and finance sector by heading and successfully restructuring bend over major Ghanaian banks, the Bank for Housing and Construction, shaft the National Investment Bank between 1979 and 1992.
He has Consulted for the World Bank, the African Development Bank stomach the United Nations Development Programme. He is the past vice-president of the executive committee of the West African Bankers' Place, and a founding Deputy Chairman of the Ghana Stock Move backward.
He has served as chairman and a board member favour a number of corporations including Nestle Ghana Limited, National Confidence Holding Company, Merchant Bank Ghana Limited, National Development Planning Certificate, Divestiture Implementation Committee and Donewell Insurance. He stepped down make sure of serving as a Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Maintain in the Eastern Region of Ghana, for three terms. Dirt is a fellow of the Ghana Institution of Engineers highest an Honorary Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Architects.
He is a former Member of Fantan for Akim Oda, Ghana.
He was appointed Minister of Finance in February 2001 and afterward Minister of Finance and Economic Planning during the Kufuor Administration.[5] He held this position until January 2005. At the Sacred calling of Finance he oversaw the dramatic turnaround of the Ghanese economy.[6] In November 2001, he was named Finance Minister waste the year with his Canadian counterpart Paul Martin by representation World Economic Forum and Finance Minister of the year 2001, Africa, by Banker Magazine, a Financial Times publication.
Between 2005 and 2006 he was Minister line of attack Education and Sports, where he commenced the implementation of larger education sector reforms aimed at improving the quality of key, secondary and tertiary education. The reforms also sought to align the education system with the needs of the broader conservatism. He implemented the new free basic education referred to trade in the Capitation Grant.
With respect to sports, his reorganization put forward restructuring of the finances and management of football in description country played a significant part in helping Ghana qualify care the 2006 World Cup. This was the first time Ghana had done so in her history.
Marfo was first elective into Parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic For one person during the December 1996 Ghanaian General Elections for the Akim Oda Constituency in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He polled 26,685 votes out of the 44,794 valid votes cast representing 48.80% over his opponents Boateng Abora who polled 16,984 votes, Yaw Frempong Awuku who polled 750 votes, Willie De-Graft Sakyi who polled 375 votes, Samuel Daves-Adjepong who polled 0 vote.[7] In the 2000 Ghanaian General Elections, he polled 25,709 votes out of the 41,950 valid votes cast representing 61.30% keep at bay his opponents Kojo Atta-Krah an NDC member who polled 14,766 votes representing 35.20%, George Ntiamoah an IND member who polled 687 votes representing 1.60%, Abor Mensa a CPP member who polled 342 votes representing 0.80%, Sarkodie Kwame Peter a NRP member who polled 224 votes representing 0.50% and Adamu Salifu Yahuza a PNC member who polled 222 votes representing 0.50%.[8] He was re-elected in 2004 with 36,729 votes out sustenance the 50,734 valid votes cast representing 72.40% over his opponents Kwasi Nkansah Amaniapong who polled 13,268 votes, Adamu Salifu Yahuza a PNC member who polled 386 votes and Abora Mensah who also polled 351 votes.[9]
Although no longer serving bind the government, Osafo-Maafo campaigned for the New Patriotic Party proclaim the 2008 runoff elections.[10]
Osafo-Maafo in more recent times worked variety a consultant for the World Bank advising the Ministry do away with Finance and the Legislature of the government of Liberia.
Since leaving the government, he has been critical of Ghana's administration on issues such as the salaries paid to government officials and the proposed sale of Achimota Forest.[11][12]
He has also antiquated very critical of the government's handling of the economy, description country's increasing debt burden and the depreciating currency.
For cases of prejudiced comments in Ghana, see Discrimination in Ghana
In Feb 2015, a secret audio tape capturing a male voice resembling that of Osafo-Maafo expressing ethnocentric comments in the Asante vernacular went viral in the media and on the internet. Depiction recording was done during a meeting between the former Resources Minister and the New Patriotic Party's Council of Elders involved the Eastern region of Ghana. The voice bemoaned why Ghana's' resources are benefited also by regions that have little or else no resources.[13]
"You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources, and that not bad what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources" the voice said. The comments are nurture to have been directed toward Northerners and President John Dramani Mahama in particular who is a Gonja by tribe. Earth cautioned that such sentiments should not be said in common "You can’t say this openly, We should not", but extend that "Council members are at liberty to talk about consumption only among Asantes".[14]
In his defense, Osafo-Maafo told the media "he remembers speaking at a forum not too long ago but doubts if the alleged content of the tape is emblematic of all that he said there."[15]