Prof Ameyaw Akumfi Appointed to Chair PPA Board
The former Education Minister in the John Kufuor administration, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, has been appointed by the President Akufo-Addo as the board chairman for the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
He takes over from Professor Douglas Boateng, who chaired the nine-member PPA Board during the first term administration of President Akufo-Addo between January 2017 to January 2021.
Procurement Irregularities
According to the Auditor General’s report released for the period ending 31st December 2020, the state lost GH¢846,134,269, to procurement irregularities.
These irregularities the Auditor General says occurred as a result of managements’ non-compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663).
The Auditor General recommended that management of all state institutions undertake procurement transactions strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act as amended.
Expected functions
Ameyaw-Akumfi in his new role is expected to join forces with the acting Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Frank Mante, and the rest of the management team to first ensure that state institutions adhere to the recommendation of the Auditor General.
The combined leadership of the PPA is also to make proposals for the formulation of policies on procurement, ensure policy implementation and human resource development for public procurement, develop rules, instructions, other regulatory documentation on public procurement and formats for public procurement documentation, as well as monitor and supervise public procurement and ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
Other functions of the PPA that the Ameyaw-Akumfi-led governing board is expected to spearhead are the establishment and implementation of an information system relating to public procurement; ensuring the publication, by the end of each month, of a public procurement bulletin which will contain information germane to public procurement including proposed procurement notices of invitation to tender and contract award information.
The PPA serves as an adviser to government including Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies on issues relating to public procurement. The Board will therefore be required to play this role to ensure that all procurement undertaken by government and state agencies are done within the confines of the public procurement laws of the state.
Profile of Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi was born on 21 August 1945 at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region. He attended the Adisadel College in Cape-Coast for his GCE O’ and A’ Levels before entering the University of Ghana in 1965 obtaining a B.Sc. Hons in Zoology in 1969. He pursued his Masters in Zoology at the same University and completed the course in a year in 1970.
He left the shores of Ghana for the United States specifically the University of Michigan in 1972 where he spent four years studying for MS in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Zoology.
He co-coordinated the introduction of the Semester and Course Unit System at the University of Cape-Coast as well as the production of academic programmes for the University College of Education, Winneba in the Central Region. He chaired various committees at the University and acted as Vice-Chancellor in the absence of the substantive Vice-Chancellor during his tenure as the Pro Vice-Chancellor.
One significant activity he undertook in relation to Higher Education when he served as the Chairman of the Committee to Review Staffing in the Polytechnics, was to present a lead paper on Decentralization at the University at a seminar for university administration under the auspices of the Tertiary Education Project.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi has several obtained several awards include the following; The University of Ghana Scholar, 1969-1970; AFGRAD Scholar, University of Michigan 1972-1977; Senior Research Fellow, Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship at University College of North Wales Bengor1984-1985 and Fulbright Scholar-Marine Research Laboratory Bodega Bay University of California.
Until his appointment as the Minister of Education in the Kufuor government, he was the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service. He was the Dean at the Faculty of Science, University of Cape Coast and Policy Adviser to the Ministry of Education.
