President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi to chair the board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), taking over the top job from Prof Douglas Boateng.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi was born on 21 August 1945 at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He attended the Adisadel College in Cape-Coast for his GCE O’ and A’ Levels before entering the University of Ghana in 1965 obtaining a B.Sc. Hons in Zoology in 1969. He pursued his Masters in Zoology at the same University and completed the course in a year in 1970.
He left the shores of Ghana for the United States specifically the University of Michigan in 1972 where he spent four years studying for MS in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Zoology.
He co-coordinated the introduction of the Semester and Course Unit System at the University of Cape-Coast as well as the production of academic programmes for the University College of Education, Winneba in the Central Region. He chaired various committees at the University and acted as Vice-Chancellor in the absence of the substantive Vice-Chancellor during his tenure as the Pro Vice-Chancellor.
One significant activity he undertook in relation to Higher Education when he served as the Chairman of the Committee to Review Staffing in the Polytechnics, was to present a lead paper on Decentralization at the University at a seminar for university administration under the auspices of the Tertiary Education Project.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi has several obtained several awards include the following; The University of Ghana Scholar, 1969-1970; AFGRAD Scholar, University of Michigan 1972-1977; Senior Research Fellow, Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship at University College of North Wales Bengor1984-1985 and Fulbright Scholar-Marine Research Laboratory Bodega Bay University of California.
Until his appointment as the Minister of Education in the Kufuor government, he was the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service. He was the Dean at the Faculty of Science, University of Cape Coast and Policy Adviser to the Ministry of Education.
The appointment of the very accomplished Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi to the PPA comes at a time the procurement processes at many state agencies have been hit by reported irregularities.
According to the Auditor General’s report released for the period ending 31st December 2020, the state lost GH¢846,134,269, to procurement irregularities.
These irregularities the Auditor General says occurred as a result of managements’ non-compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663).
The Auditor-General recommended that management of all state institutions undertake procurement transactions strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act as amended.