Abuga Pele Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
Abuga Pele
Constituency Mp1:Member of Parliament for Chiana-Paga Constituency
Term Start1:7 January 2013
Term End1:6 January 2017
President1:John Mahama
Office3:Member of Parliament for Chiana-Paga Constituency
Term Start3:7 January 2005
Term End3:6 January 2009
President3:John Kufuor
Birth Date:3 March 1958
Nationality:Ghanaian 
Party:National Democratic Congress
Alma Mater:University of Ghana
Profession:Administrator/ Manager

Abuga Pele (born March 3, 1958) is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Chiana-Paga Constituency in the Upper East Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.[1] [2]

Early life and education

Pele was born on March 3, 1958. He hails from Paga Buru Nakolo, a village in the Upper East Region of Ghana.[1] He entered University of Ghana and obtained his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in 1988.[1]

Career

Pele is an administrator and manager by profession.[3] He worked in the Internal Revenue Service as an inspector of taxes.[4] He was the National Coordinator of Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).[5]

Politics

Pele is a member of the National Democratic Congress. (NDC). In 2012, he contested for the Chiana/Paga seat on the ticket of the NDC in the sixth parliament of the fourth republic and won.[1]

Elections

He was first elected into Parliament during the December 1996 Ghanaian General Elections. He polled 19,362 votes representing 48.20% over his opponents Achinan Apiyese James who polled 5,625 votes representing 14.00%.[6] He polled 15,391 votes representing 65.10% out of the 100% votes cast.[7]

Pele was elected as the member of parliament for the Chiana-Paga constituency of the Upper East Region of Ghana in the 2004 Ghanaian general elections.[8] [9] He won on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. His constituency was a part of the 9 parliamentary seats out of 13 seats won by the National Democratic Congress in that election for the Upper East Region.[10] The National Democratic Congress won a minority total of 94 parliamentary seats out of 230 seats.[11] He was elected with 11,824 votes out of 25,691 total valid votes cast. This was equivalent to 46% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over Anyoka Jerry of the Peoples’ National Convention, Allowe Leo Kabah of the New Patriotic Party, Desmond Ayirevire of the Convention People's Party and Alichima Martin an independent candidate. These obtained 1,212, 6,242, 333 and 6,080 votes respectively of total votes cast. These were equivalent to 4.7%, 24.3%, 1.3% and 23.7% respectively of total valid votes cast.

In 2012, he was elected as the member of parliament for the same constituency. He won on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.[12] [13] He was elected with 21,552 votes out of 33,947 total valid votes cast.[14] This was equivalent to 63.49% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over Francis Nagia Santuah of the Peoples’ National Convention, Allowe Leo Kabah of the New Patriotic Party, Aloah Adoa Muniru of the Progressive People's Party and Ayirevire Desmond of the Convention People's Party. These obtained 4,705, 7,246, 323 and 121 votes respectively of total votes cast. These were equivalent to 13.86%, 21.35%, 0.95% and 0.36% respectively of total valid votes cast.

Personal life

Pele is an Eckanker. He is married with three children.[1]

Arrest and release

In 2018, Abuga was sentenced to a 6-year imprisonment for his involvement in causing financial loss to Ghana by an Accra High Court. He was found guilty on two counts of 'abetment of fraud' and five counts of 'willfully causing financial loss to the state'.[15] [16] He was jailed at the Nsawam Maximum Security Prison.

In July 2021, he received a presidential pardon by Nana Akufo-Addo on health grounds.[17] He was taken to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital after he faced health issues and was in a critical condition at the HDU of the health facility.[18] [19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ghana MPs - MP Details - Pele, Tumbakura Abuga . 2020-02-07 . GhanaMps..
  2. Web site: Abuga Pele hospitalised. 2021-08-23. Graphic Online. en-gb.
  3. Web site: Ghana MPs - MP Details - Pele,Tumbakura Abuga . https://web.archive.org/web/20160425073342/http://ghanamps.gov.gh/mps/details.php?id=2499 . 25 April 2016 . 2020-08-03 . Ghana MPs.
  4. Web site: 2016-04-25 . Ghana MPs - MP Details - Pele,Tumbakura Abuga . https://web.archive.org/web/20160425073342/http://ghanamps.gov.gh/mps/details.php?id=2499 . 25 April 2016 . 2020-08-03 . GhanaMps.
  5. Web site: The truth about my incarceration will come out one day – Abuga Pele - MyJoyOnline.com . 2021-08-23 . MyJoyOnline. . en-US.
  6. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 1996 Results - Chiana / Paga Constituency. 2020-10-15. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  7. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2000 Results - Chiana / Paga Constituency. 2020-10-15. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  8. Book: Elections 2004; Ghana's Parliamentary and Presidential Elections. Electoral Commission of Ghana; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 2005. Accra. 185.
  9. Web site: Peace FM. Ghana Election 2004 Results - Chiana-Paga Constituency. 2020-08-03. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  10. Web site: 2016-08-10. Statistics of Presidential and Parliamentary Election Results. 2020-08-03. Fact Check Ghana. en-US.
  11. Web site: Peace FM. Ghana Election 2004 Results - President. 2020-08-03. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  12. Web site: Peace FM. Ghana Election 2012 Results - Chiana-Paga Constituency. 2020-08-03. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  13. Book: Elections 2012. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 2012. Ghana. 197.
  14. Web site: Peace FM. Ghana Election 2012 Results - Chiana-Paga Central Constituency. 2020-08-03. Ghana Elections - Peace FM.
  15. Web site: 2021-08-22. 'I was a football coach, a headmaster in prison' – Abuga Pele. 2021-08-23. GhanaWeb. en.
  16. Web site: ‘We can smile now, we're grateful’ – Abuga Pele’s family to Akufo-Addo. 2021-08-23. Modern Ghana. en.
  17. Web site: 2021-08-22. Thank you for cutting my jail term – Abuga Pele to Akufo-Addo. 2021-08-23. GhanaWeb. en.
  18. Web site: Abuga Pele released from jail after President Akufo-Addo's pardon. 2021-08-23. Graphic Online. en-gb.
  19. Web site: 2021-07-03. Abuga Pele receives presidential pardon on grounds of ill health. 2021-08-23. GhanaWeb. en.