Sons and daughters of New Juaben are massively rooting for Michael Okyere Baafi,Member of Parliament for New Juaben South to be appointed substantive Trade and Industry Ministry following resignation of Alan Kyeremanteng to contest NPP flagbearer race.
The support for Michael Okyere Baafi for the position has become more intensed on various social media platforms of New Juaben citizens both home and abroad ,and has become daily topic on the streets.
Some residents believe ,New Juaben South gives the NPP highest votes in presidential elections in Eastern Region therefore deserve to be get a cabinet ministerial portfolio.
Some influential people including traditional rulers from New Juaben have joined lobbying that have characterized jostling for the position
So far Michael Okyere Baafi and colleague deputy minister for the trade and industry Herbert Krapa as well as others such as Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Tourism Minister, Mohammed Awal; and Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh are said to be in pole position to be considered for the substantive position.
Herbert Krapa however is being ruled out for inexperience to handle such sensitive portfolio.
Michael Okyere Baafi is high on the cards considering the fact that he has learnt a lot in his position as Deputy Minister with strong links with industry players. He is a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA).
Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi is a politician and a businessman with over 18 years of experience in Strategic Marketing, Corporate Decision Making, and Customer Relationship Management. He is also a Transactions and Engagement expert.
He has a Bachelor of Education degree in Psychology and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Corporate Strategy from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), respectively.
To stay current and develop into a consummate professional, Michael Okyere Baafi has attended a variety of workshops and seminars, including investment promotion, marketing, and sales, claims handling and small business management skills, innovation, and leadership. He is a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) member (UK).
He has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), where he played a key role in enhancing the company’s brand image and influencing the work culture of the organization, which operates as a public institution with a private sector orientation. He also launched investment promotion activities both locally and internationally, which resulted in the licensing of many companies.
Before assuming his role as the CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, he rose through the ranks from a Marketing Officer to an Area Manager within five years at Donewell Insurance. In 2010, he was appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Phoenix Insurance Ltd.
He is a renowned speaker and is well versed in industry and economic zone development. Michael Okyere Baafi has participated in and addressed various conferences. Some of these include a Conference on Trade and SME Development in Namibia as well as the Ghana-German Business Council in Berlin, Germany. He also attended the International Growth Centre (IGC) Conference on Special Economic Zones in Johannesburg, South Africa and also the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. Others include the 14th CII Exim Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership, India; and South Africa’s 11th Business Show, amongst others.
He has benefited from a number of trainings, workshops and seminars. The Africa SME Organisation’s African SME Summit in 2015, the African Innovation Forum, and Small Business Management, all in 2014, are among the most notable. He has also participated in Insurance Sales and Marketing trainings organized by the Ghana Insurance College and the African Insurance Organization in Cameroon.
Mr Baafi chaired the NPP’s National Youth Wing’s Finance Committee from 2014 to 2018. He served as a Board Member for the Ghana National Service Scheme (NSS) and the Ghana Free Zones Authority between 2017 and 2020.
He is currently a deputy minister for Trade and Industry and the Member of Parliament for the New Juaben South Constituency.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
