Phyllis Christian | |
---|---|
Born | Phyllis Maria Christian 1956 (age 67–68) Ghana |
Nationality | Ghanaian |
Alma mater | University of Ghana; Ghana School of Law |
Occupation(s) | Lawyer, consultant |
Known for | CEO ShawbellConsulting |
Parent(s) | Howard Christian; Sarah Christian née Grant |
Relatives | George Alfred Grant (grandfather) [1] Clara Marguerite Christian (aunt) Essi Matilda Forster (aunt) Margaret Busby (cousin) Moira Stuart (cousin) |
Phyllis M. Christian (born 1956) is a Ghanaian lawyer and consultant who has been called "one of the most influential women in Ghana". [2] A lawyer by training (the fourth generation of her family to enter the legal profession), [2] she is also the founder, chief executive officer and managing consultant of ShawbellConsulting, based in Accra. [3] [4] [5] Her maternal grandfather George Alfred Grant, popularly known as Paa Grant, was one of the founding fathers of Ghana.
Phyllis Maria Christian was born in Ghana, the elder daughter of high court lawyer Howard J. Christian and his wife Sarah (née Grant, whose father Paa Grant was the founding president of the United Gold Coast Convention, which fought for Ghanaian independence), [6] and the fourth of her parents' five children. [7] Her father was the son of Dominica-born barrister George James Christian (1869–1940). [8] She was educated at Holy Child School in Cape Coast (1967–74), and from 1974 to 1977 at the University of Ghana, Legon. [9] She received a degree in English Literature and Philosophy, and went on to postgraduate studies in law at the University of Ghana (1979) and a postgraduate degree in International Law & Business from the City University of London (1981), obtaining professional qualification from the Ghana School of Law in 1981. [10]
In June 2002, Christian founded ShawbellConsulting, [11] an Accra-based company providing legal and management consultancy services. [3] In her role as chief executive officer, Christian (whose specialist practice areas are Corporate and Energy) [12] has led the company to win a number of awards, being adjudged best law consulting firm of the year at the Offshore Ghana Oil and Gas Awards in 2014–15, [11] among other accolades. [13]
As an advocate of incentives for indigenous firms, Christian has written for such outlets as the Daily Graphic , [14] and endorses plans for legislation "to require that at least 70 per cent of all government, taxpayer-financed contracts and procurements be executed by local corporate entities" and a policy requiring a specified percentage be sourced "from entities owned by women, persons with disability, and those established under the Youth Enterprise Fund". [15]
In a voluntary capacity, Christian has been a board member of a number of organisations, including Sharecare Ghana (Sharecare4U) [16] and the independent not-for-profit Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG). [17]
In 2015, she was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) of President John Dramani Mahama. [18]
Her writings include the chapter "Administration of justice by traditional authorities in Ghana: an exposition on the law and practice" contributed to A Commitment to Law, Development and Public Policy (2016, edited by Richard Frimpong Oppong and Kissi Agyebeng), a festschrift in honour of Nana Dr S. K. B. Asante, lawyer and paramount chief of Asokore Asante in the Ashanti Region. [19]
Christian appeared in the documentary film The Election Petition, which deals with the processes leading up to, during and after the election petition that was filed after Ghana's 2012 general elections. [20] [21]
She chairs the Ethics Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), [22] [23] and in 2021 was appointed to the Ghana Advisory Board of Tullow Oil. [24]
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is the governing body of association football in Ghana and is based in Accra the capital of Ghana. Founded in 1957, the Association was dissolved by the Ghanaian Minister of Sport, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, on 7 June 2018, after the discovery of corruption in the association through investigative videos. In October 2019, a new president, Kurt Okraku, was elected as the association reconvened upon the completion of the work of the FIFA Normalization Committee. Mark Addo was later elected vice president in November 2019. Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has been re-elected as President of the Ghana Football Association during their 2023 Elective Congress in Tamale in the Northern region Ghana.
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the Porcupine Warriors, they compete in the Ghana Premier League and play their home matches at the Baba Yara Stadium in Amakom, Kumasi.
William Ofori Atta, popularly called "Paa Willie", was a Ghanaian founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana as one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in the then Gold Coast. He later became a Minister for Foreign Affairs in Ghana's second republic between 1971 and 1972.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the president of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police Service.
George Alfred Grant, popularly known as Paa Grant, was a merchant and politician in the Gold Coast who has been called "the father of Gold Coast politics". As a political activist, he was th founder, financer and the first president of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in August 1947. He was also one of Ghana's Founding Fathers. He paid for Kwame Nkrumah to return to Ghana from the United States. A roundabout has been named after George Grant in Sekondi Takoradi in his memory. Many opinion leaders have said it will be right to mention his name in the struggle for Ghanas independence the same vain as the 'Big Six '.
Kojo Vincent Oppong Nkrumah is a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He is the member of parliament for the Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency. Having served as the Minister of Information since November 2018, he was appointed the Minister for Works and Housing during a Ministerial reshuffle on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
Irene Naa Torshie Addo is a Ghanaian politician and lawyer, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency.
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.
Vincent Oppong Asamoah is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Eight Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He represented the Dormaa West Constituency in the Brong-Ahafo Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. He is the Former Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports of Ghana.
Osofo Dadzie is a Ghanaian television drama series that was aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It was performed by the Osofo Dadzie group, a drama and concert group that was very popular in Ghana at the time the series ran. The group enjoyed two major stints on Ghanaian television; from 1972 to 1982, and then from 1985 to 1989.
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James Oppong-Boanuh is a Ghanaian lawyer and police officer. He was appointed as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Ghana Police Service by President Nana Akufo-Addo in October 2019 and went on retirement as IGP in August 2021. Prior to being appointed as IGP, Oppong-Boanuh served in different command and staff positions including Aide-de-camp to the IGP, Chief Staff Officer to the IGP; Director-General of Welfare, Director-General of Human Resources; Regional Commander, Director-General of Legal and Prosecutions, Director-General of Administration and Deputy IGP.
Abena Takyiwa is a Ghanaian politician and a member of the first Parliament of the fourth Republic representing the Kwabre constituency in the Ashanti Region.
Godfred Yeboah Dame is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party. He was previously the deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice. He is currently the Attorney General.
Kissi Agyebeng is a Ghanaian lawyer, academic, and the Special Prosecutor of Ghana since 2021. Prior to his appointment, he was a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Managing Partner at Cromwellgray LLP, and the Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal of Ghana.