Papa Owusu-Ankomah is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party. He served as Member of Parliament for the Sekondi constituency from 1996 to 2016. In June 2017 Papa Owusu-Ankomah was appointed Ghana's High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland and has served in that capacity since then. He has been called the Quiet Dynamo of Ghanaian politics.
Early life
Owusu-Ankomah was born in Ghana on 27 April 1958 to a family of entrepreneurs in the retail and real estate industries in the Western Region. His father, the late Mr. Yaw Owusu-Ankomah, hailed from Atibie in the Kwahu District of the Eastern Region, while his mother, Madam Araba Owomoye Owusu-Ankomah - hails from Dixcove in the Western Region. Growing up in the cosmopolitan twin port cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, he lived in close proximity to the Zongo neighbourhood of Sekondi, and had the opportunity to make friends with a very broad range of Ghanaians.
Education
Owusu-Ankomah begun his early formal education in primary schools in Takoradi, from which he entered Mfantsipim School for his secondary education. At Mfantsipim School, he obtained the West African Examination Council's Advanced Level Examination certificate for entrance into University. At the University of Ghana, Legon Papa Owusu-Ankomah studied law for his bachelor's degree. He graduated with an LL.B 2nd Class Upper Division in 1979 proceeded to the Ghana School of Law, where he completed his professional studies in the Law in 1981. He was called to the Ghana Bar that same year.
Professional career
Owusu-Ankomah is a lawyer by profession. He served as the Attorney General of Ghana from 2003 to 2005. Prior to entering politics, he was the managing partner in the practice of Owusu-Ankomah, Amanquah & Co.
Party activism
Owusu-Ankomah was a founding member, and once served as the Chairman, of the Western Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party, he was also a founding member of the Danquah-Busia Club and a member of the Western Regional Campaign team in 1992 and 1996. He was a member of the Publicity Committee of the Camp Board of the NPP for the 2000 elections, and from October 2001 to March 2003 he was the Chairman of the Communications Committee and a member of the National Steering Committee - which came up with the Positive Change slogan. He has been a member of the National Executive Committee of the NPP and a member of the National Council of the NPP since 1997. In 2006, he was a member of the National Campaign Board of the party. Owusu-Ankomah has been a member of the Western Region NPP since its inception, he worked with founding members of the party, some of which include the late Mr. Stephen Krakue, to form a political party to contest the National Democratic Congress. In 1996, he won the Sekondi constituency seat on the ticket of the NPP and while he was in the opposition, he served as the shadow minister for Information.
Parliamentary career
When the New Patriotic Party won the 2000 Ghanaian General Election he was appointed Deputy Majority leader and later elected Majority leader in parliament. While in parliament, Owusu-Ankomah served on a number of committees, some of which include; the Standing Committee on Subsidiary Legislation, the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Finance Committee and the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Governance experience
Within the executive branch of Government, Papa Owusu-Ankomah has led a combination of staff at the Ministry of Justice, Youth and Sports, Parliamentary Affairs, Interior; Education, Science and Sports, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiatives. During his tenure of office as the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, the Ghana Black Stars made their historic run to the round of sixteen at the World Cup in 2006. He was also responsible for the reformation of basic education in Ghana. He resigned in 2007 to contest the flagbarership of his party the New Patriotic Party. His bid was unsuccessful having placed sixth ahead of other party contenders. He was appointed Minister for Trade industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiatives by the then president, John Agyekum Kufour. He served as the MP for Sekondi for over twenty years.
Family
Papa Owusu-Ankomah has been married to Mrs. Augustina Owusu-Ankomah, who hails from the Central Region, for 36 years. The couple have three children : Nania, Papa Yaw and Kwesi Papa. He has 5 grandchildren.
Hobbies
He has many hobbies, including walking, soccer, reading and listening to Ghanaian music of all kinds. He plays draughts, and likes to watch Ghanaian comedies on television.
