By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The two major political parties in Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have started canvassing for potential candidates to partner with their respective flagbearers as the 2024 presidential elections draw nearer.
More time for Dr. Bawumia
As the NPP has granted its flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia additional time to select a suitable and most loyal personality within the ranks and file of the party to partner him for the 2024 general election, more names have popped up, including the current MP for Suame and Minister responsible for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Leader of the Majority caucus in Parliament, among others.
The party’s constitution usually requires the vice presidential candidate to be chosen one year before elections, but this will not happen due to the fact that the current Vice President needs more time to work on it as he continues to thank delegates for the recently held conference that elected him as the flagbearer.
More time for Dr. Bawumia has fuelled daily debates, giving the opportunity to party faithful, loyalists, and the general membership of the NPP in all 16 regions to continue to project their various candidates. But one name that has come up very strongly is the current EPA Boss in the person of Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, who is also a former MP for Batama Constituency in the Ashanti region.
But who is Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu?
Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu is a lawyer and currently the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a legally mandated body working to protect and improve the environment in Ghana.
He is currently serving on several boards, including the Petroleum Commission, Lands Commission, Ghana Maritime Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Public-Private Partnership, Public Investment Program Working Committee and is the Special Envoy for the Ghana Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).
Dr Kokofu was a Member of Parliament for Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti region and served on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry from 2013 to 2017. Lawyer Kokofu was the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC).
Dr Kokofu holds a PhD (Environmental Science), LLD (Honoris causa), Master class Certificate in Leadership and Management. He also holds LLM (Oil & Gas Law), BL (Barrister at Law), MSc (Agroforestry), MSc (Defence and International Politics), BSc (Natural Resources), and LLB (Bachelor of Laws).
He has a successful professional career as a legal practitioner, natural resource scientist, environmental scientist, defence and security, international politics, and public administration.
He has received several awards and recognition for himself and the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana.
