Jean Mensa | |
---|---|
Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana | |
Assumed office 2018 | |
President | Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo |
Preceded by | Charlotte Osei |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Ghanaian |
Relations | Jacob Amekor Blukoo-Allotey (Father) |
Education | St. Mary's Senior High School |
Alma mater | University of Ghana |
Profession | Lawyer |
[1] Jean Adukwei Mensa is a Ghanaian lawyer by profession who has been serving as chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana since July 2018. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] She was nominated by the President,Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to take over the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) from her predecessor,Charlotte Osei. [11] Jean Mensa was born on November 12,1971. Prior to assuming the role of chairperson of the EC,Jean Mensa spent an 18-year career at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA),rising to the position of executive director. [2] As the EC chairperson,Jean Mensa declared the then presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the NPP as the president-elect of the December 7th,2020 Presidential Election. [12]
Jean was born on November 12,1971,in Accra to Ga parents. Her father,Jacob Blukoo-Allotey,a physician who was awarded the Order of the Volta in 2008. Jean received her secondary education at St. Mary's Senior High School in Accra,after completion of her basic education at Ridge Church School. She studied at the University of Ghana Law school and received her degree in 1993. She was called to the Ghana Bar Association in 1995. [13] [14] [1]
Jean was appointed as the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana on 23 July 2018,after her predecessor was removed from office. For two decades,Jean has been a leader in policy research and advocacy. She has been involved in the development of policies,such as the Presidential Transition Act of 2012,the Revised 1992 Constitution of Ghana (draft),the Political Parties Funding Bill,and the Revised Political Parties Bill. [2] [15] Her specialization has been developing and implementing policy alternatives,that reflect international best practice but are also tailored to Ghana's needs. This is her first ever significant public sector appointment.
Jean was sworn in by the President of Ghana,Akufo-Addo. [16] [17] The swearing came in after a Ghanaian citizen by the name,Fafali Nyonatorto sought to halt the President from going through with the process of appointing a new Electoral Commission chair. The citizen challenged the removal of the former Electoral Commission to enable the court to hear her substantive case. The President claimed the removal of the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Charlotte Osei,from her office was carried on with no malice. The president said it was expected of him to discharge the constitutional mandate. [18] [19] [20]
In 2010,Jean Mensa was part of a nine-member constitutional review committee that was set up by the late president John Evans Atta Mills,to review the 1992 constitution. The role of the committee was to consult with Ghanaians on the operation of the 1992 Constitution and on any changes that needed to be made to the constitution. [21] Unfortunately however,after a successful review exercise,there was little to no implementation of the recommendations from the review exercise. [22]
Jean facilitated the IEA's Evening Encounter Series,Ghana's Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates,as well as Town Hall Meetings for parliamentary candidates. Prior to working at the IEA,Mrs Mensa also worked at Amarkai Amarteifio Chambers (1995-1997) and BJ Da Rocha Chambers as a Junior Lawyer (1998).
Mensa has been ranked by the African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) as one of the Top 60 outstanding,inspiring and hardworking corporate women leaders in Ghana (2017). She has won several awards including the Excellent Leadership Award by the EXLA Group (2013) and the Young Professional Role Model in Governance Award presented by the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition Initiative (2014).
In July 2023,Mrs Jean Mensa was selected as a member of ECOWAS and AU Joint Pre-election Fact-finding Mission to Liberia ahead of the country's election on 10 October 2023. [23]
Mrs. Jean Mensa is married to Dr. Charles Mensa,a former resident director of the Volta Aluminium Company. [24]
The Electoral Commission (EC) chaired by Jean was cautioned by the former president of Ghana John Mahama not to compile a new voter's register. He claimed there is not much time left for the general election to compile a new voters' register. He said Jean Mensah and her outfit will be held responsible if the country turns into a turmoil after the 2020 general elections take place. Demonstrations took place across the country in three cities Tamale,Kumasi and Accra to sound their view against the compilation. [25] In September 2023,the Electoral commission headed by Jean Mensa begun the registration for new registrants,which also served a chance to all people who lost or attained 18 years of age to be able to register for new Voter ID cards to help them participate legally in coming elections. The registration was successful and led to a successful 2020 election.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a centre-right and liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992,it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian politics,with its leading rival being the centre-left National Democratic Congress (NDC). John Kufuor of the NPP was President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. At the elections held on 7 December 2004,the party won 129 out of 230 seats. The NPP candidate was Kufuor,who was re-elected as president with 52.75% of the vote. The New Patriotic Party symbol is the African elephant and the New Patriotic Party colours are red,white,and blue.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 2017. He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the Kufuor-led administration.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) is the official body in Ghana responsible for all public elections. Made up of seven members and there are seven (7) functional departments at the Head Office. Each department is headed by a Director who is assisted by Unit Heads. The departments are:- Electoral services;Human Resource;Finance;Training;Administration;Research,Monitoring &Evaluation;Information Technology. its independence is guaranteed by the 1992 Ghana constitution. The current commission was established by the Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was the first substantive chairman of the commission,from 1993 to 2015. He was succeeded by Charlotte Osei as the first female chairman of the commission from 2015 to June 2018. Jean Adukwei Mensah succeeded Charlotte Osei in July 2018. On December 5,2018,the Electoral commission chaired by Jean Adukwei Mensah reverted to the old logo showing the Coat of arms of Ghana and a ballot box showing the hand casting its votes,after the controversy over the new logo.
Mahamudu Bawumia is a Ghanaian and former central banker who serves as the 5th Vice President of Ghana in the 4th Ghanaian Republic. He assumed office on 7 January 2017 as Vice President of Ghana. Bawumia is the New Patriotic Party Nominee in the 2024 general election.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA),Ghana,is a public policy think tank based in Accra,Ghana. It is known to be Ghana's premier public policy institute. It was founded by a Ghanaian economist,Dr. Charles Mensa in 1989 at a time when the country was governed by a military regime. The IEA was set up as an independent,non-government institution dedicated to the establishment and strengthening of a market economy and a democratic,free and open society. The IEA supports research,promotes and publishes studies on economic,socio-political and legal issues in order to enhance understanding of public policy.
General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2016 to elect a President and Members of Parliament. They had originally been scheduled for 7 November 2016,but the date was later rejected by Parliament. Former foreign minister Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party was elected President on his third attempt,defeating incumbent President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.
Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta,is a Ghanaian investment banker who served as the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning in the cabinet of Nana Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2024. He was a co-founder of Databank Group,a Ghanaian financial services company,and served as executive chairman until 2012 when he resigned. He was nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 10 January 2017 and assumed office on 27 January 2017 as finance minister. On February 14,2024,he was relieved of his position as the finance minister of Ghana by Nana Akufo-Addo.
Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei is the UN International Elections Commissioner,a Ghanaian lawyer and former chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 2015 until she was dismissed in June 2018 on grounds of financial malfeasance. Her dismissal has been challenged in the Supreme Court of Ghana by two separate writs. She became the first female to serve in the office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana since the independence of Ghana. Before her appointment she was the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education. In May 2019,she was appointed by the United Nations to be on a team of international advisors,to assist in managing the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took office as Ghana's president on 7 January 2017 after winning the December 2016 presidential elections. A number of controversies have arisen under his administration.
Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is a Ghanaian judge and the immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana. In December 2019,President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Anin-Yeboah as the Chief Justice of Ghana.
Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah is a Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament of Tema West constituency. Also,he was a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry in Ghana. He is also the CEO of Carlos King Freight Services.
Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu,is a Supreme Court Judge of the Republic of Ghana. She was nominated by president Nana Akufo-Addo. She is the 5th female member of the Court. Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court,she was a Ghanaian law professor who served as a member of the United Nations Independent Panel On Peace Operations.
Samuel Abu Jinapor,is a Ghanaian lawyer and a politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the Member of Parliament for the Damongo Constituency. In 2017,President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo appointed him as Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Office of the President,at the age of 33,the youngest in the history of Ghana to occupy such a position. He is currently the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
The Ghana Freedom Party is a party founded by Akua Donkor,a farmer. This was largely to help her ambitions to become President of Ghana.
Georgina Opoku Amankwah was the deputy chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Before her appointment in 2015,she was the first Chairperson of Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana. On June 28,2018,she was removed from office on the directions of the president of Ghana,Nana Akufo-Addo.
Amadu Sulley is a Ghanaian public servant who is a former Deputy Chairperson of Electoral Commission of Ghana.
General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2020. Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was re-elected in the first round after securing a majority of the votes. Former President John Dramani Mahama announced that he would contest the results. At the Supreme Court,a petition challenging the result was filed on 30 December,and unanimously dismissed on 4 March 2021 for lack of merit.
Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu is a Supreme Court judge of the Republic of Ghana.
George Akuffo Dampare is a Ghanaian chartered accountant and police officer. He was appointed as the acting Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 21 July 2021 effective 1 August 2021,taking over from James Oppong-Boanuh who had been serving since October 2019.