Isaac Kwame Asiamah Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
Isaac Kwame Asiamah
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Parliament1:Ghana
Office2:Minister of Youth and Sports
Term Start2:February 2017
Term End2:6 January 2021
President2:Nana Akufo-Addo
Predecessor2:Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye
Successor2:Mustapha Ussif
Office3:Member of Ghana Parliament for Atwima Mponua constituency
Term Start3:7 January 2005
Predecessor3:Akwasi Dante Afriyie
Birth Date:24 December 1975
Birth Place:Mampong, Ghana
Nationality:Ghanaian 
Party:New Patriotic Party
Children:3
Alma Mater:University of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
Profession:Researcher
Committees:Mines and Energy CommitteePoverty Reduction Strategy Committee

Isaac Kwame Asiamah (born 24 December 1975)[1] is a Ghanaian politician of the Republic of Ghana. He is the Member of Parliament of Atwima Mponua constituency. He has been the member of parliament for the constituency in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.[2] [3] [4] He is a member of the New Patriotic Party of Ghana. From February 2017 to January 2021, he served as the Minister of Youth and Sports.

Early life and education

Isaac Asiamah was born in Mampong, Ghana on December 24, 1975.[5] [6] He attended the University of Ghana, Legon where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Political Science, in 2000. He proceeded to the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration for his master's degree in Governance and Leadership, graduating in 2008.[7]

Career

Asiamah has had a varied professional background, including being employed as a Policy Analyst at the New Patriotic Party Headquarters in Accra. He was also the National Youth Secretary of the New Patriotic Party.

Political career

Asiamah entered Ghanaian politics at an early age when he contested and won the Atwima Mponua constituency elections on the ticket of the NPP in 2005. When he won the seat, he was 29 years old, the youngest parliamentarian ever in Ghanaian political history.[8] [9] The current holder of the title of the youngest parliamentarian is Francisca Oteng-Mensah, who, in 2016, was elected at age 23.[10]

Minister of Youth and Sports

In January 2017, President Nana Akuffo-Addo nominated him for the position of Minister of Youth and Sports in Ghana. He was tasked with improving sporting disciplines and activities in the county by developing young athletes. The president encouraged him to put in place structures to streamline Ghanaian sports and use it as a platform to project Ghanaian athletes on the world stage.

Parliamentary vetting

The Appointments Committee of Parliament vetted Asiamah on 7 February 2017.[11] During the vetting, he articulated his views on how to improve sports in Ghana. One major change he intended to bring was to transparency in the dealing of the various national teams and government especially on the issue of allowances and bonuses allocated to players.[12]

Swearing in

President Akuffo-Addo swore in all the ministers who had been approved by Parliament on 10 February 2017.[13] Asiamah was among ten other ministers who received their ministerial charters to begin work in their various ministries.[14] [15] [16] [17]

Elections

2004 Elections

Asiamah was elected as the member of parliament for the Atwima Mponua constituency of the Ashanti Region of Ghana for the first time in the 2004 Ghanaian general elections.[18] [19] He won on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party. His constituency was a part of the 36 parliamentary seats out of 39 seats won by the New Patriotic Party in that election for the Ashanti Region.[20] The New Patriotic Party won a majority total of 128 parliamentary seats out of 230 seats.[21] He was elected with 30,012 votes out of 44,217 total valid votes cast equivalent to 67.9% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over John Macitse Oduro H. of the National Democratic Congress and Stephen Osei Bossman of the Convention People's Party. These obtained 30.5% and 1.7% respectively of total valid votes cast.

2008 Elections

In 2008, he won the general elections on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party for the same constituency.[22] [23] His constituency was part of the 34 parliamentary seats out of 39 seats won by the New Patriotic Party in that election for the Ashanti Region.[24] The New Patriotic Party won a minority total of 109 parliamentary seats out of 230 seats.[25] He was elected with 25,350 votes out of 44,948 total valid votes cast equivalent to 56.4% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over Amoah Sarpong of the People's National Convention, Ali Yeboah of the National Democratic Congress, Kofi Takyi of the Democratic People's Party, Appiahhene Peter of the Convention People's Party and Raphael Baffour Awuah an independent candidate. These obtained 0.68%, 32.01%, 0.42%, 1.12% and 9.37% respectively of the total votes cast.

2012 Elections

In 2012, he won the general elections on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party for the same constituency.[26] [27] He was elected with 33,961 votes out of 59,300 total valid votes cast equivalent to 57.27% of total valid votes cast. He was elected over Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah of the National Democratic Congress and Frank Tachie Mensah of the Convention People's Party. These obtained 41.94% and 0.79% respectively of the total votes cast.

He was re-elected in the 2016 and 2020 general election to represent in both the 7th and 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

In the parliamentary primaries of 2024 for the NPP, he was defeated in his attempt to represent the party by Owusu Sekyere. Sekyere secured 377 votes, surpassing his opponent who received 330 votes out of the total valid votes cast.[28]

Personal life

Asiamah is married with three children. He identifies as a Christian and is a member of the Anglican Church of Ghana.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah . Odekro . 20 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170808032640/http://www.odekro.org/person/isaac-kwame-asiamah/ . 8 August 2017 . dead .
  2. Web site: 2016-05-06. Ghana MPs – MP Details – Asiamah, Isaac Kwame. 2020-08-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20160506162054/http://ghanamps.gov.gh/mps/details.php?id=88. 6 May 2016.
  3. Web site: 2016-04-24. Ghana MPs – MP Details – Asiamah, Isaac Kwame. 2020-08-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424231111/http://ghanamps.gov.gh/mps/details.php?id=2629. 24 April 2016.
  4. Web site: Parliament of Ghana. 2020-08-02. www.parliament.gh.
  5. Web site: Ghana MPs. Asiamah, Isaac Kwame. ghanamps.com. ghanamps. 18 July 2017.
  6. Web site: Profile : Isaac Asiamah appointed Ghana new Sports Minister @NAkufoAddo . Ghana News Feed . 20 July 2017.
  7. Web site: Governance: Isaac Kwame Asiamah –Youth & Sports . Government of Ghana . 20 July 2017 . 7 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234529/http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/governance/ministers/3447-isaac-kwame-asiamah-youth-sports . dead .
  8. Web site: 13 January 2017. Profile of Isaac Asiamah ...The New Sports Minister. 20 July 2017. Peace FM Online.
  9. Web site: Youngest MP In Accident . Ghanaweb . 18 December 2006 . 21 July 2017.
  10. Web site: NPP grabs 24 female MPs . Ghana Web . 16 Dec 2016 . 20 July 2017.
  11. Web site: 7 February 2017. Vetting Live: Each Black Stars player earned $21,000 in just ended AFCON. 20 July 2017. Myjoyonline.
  12. Web site: 7 February 2017. I won't negotiate Black Stars bonuses – Isaac Asiamah. 20 July 2017. Pulse Ghana.
  13. Web site: 11 February 2017. President swears in last batch of sector minis. 20 July 2017. Ghana WEB. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807193826/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/President-swears-in-last-batch-of-sector-ministers-509140. dead.
  14. Web site: 10 February 2017. Akufo-Addo swears in final batch of Ministerial nominees. 20 July 2017. Myjoyonline.
  15. Web site: 11 February 2017. OFFICIAL: Isaac Asiamah Sworn In As Sports Minister. 20 July 2017. Sports Obama.
  16. Web site: 24 July 2017. Moys Congratulates Isaac Dobge on his Final Eliminator Victory (press release). 7 August 2017. Ministry of Youth and Sports. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807064221/http://moys.gov.gh/moys/?p=1431. dead.
  17. Web site: Isaac Kwame Asiamah –Youth & Sports. 7 August 2017. Government of Ghana. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234529/http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/governance/ministers/3447-isaac-kwame-asiamah-youth-sports. dead.
  18. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2004 Results – Atwima Mponua Constituency. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  19. Book: Elections 2004; Ghana's Parliamentary and Presidential Elections. Electoral Commission of Ghana; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 2005. Accra. 120.
  20. Web site: 2016-08-10. Statistics of Presidential and Parliamentary Election Results. 2020-08-02. Fact Check Ghana. en-US.
  21. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2004 Results – President. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  22. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2008 Results – Atwima Mponua Constituency. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  23. Book: Ghana Elections 2008. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 2010. Ghana. 59.
  24. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2008 Results – Ashanti Region. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  25. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2008. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  26. Book: Elections 2012. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Ghana. 130.
  27. Web site: FM. Peace. Ghana Election 2012 Results – Atwima Mponua Constituency. 2020-08-02. Ghana Elections – Peace FM.
  28. Web site: 2024-01-28 . Former Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah loses NPP Parliamentary primaries in Atwima Mponua . 2024-02-01 . GhanaWeb . en.