The board members taking their oath of office
A NINE-member ministerial advisory board (MAB) for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has been inaugurated.
The board is to be chaired by the sector minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and the Deputy Minister for Aviation, Kwabena Darko-Mensah, is the deputy chairman.
Other members of the MAB, which was inaugurated by Madam Dapaah in Accra on Monday, are Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng, Deputy Minister of Finance; Christiana Edmund, Acting Chief Director of the Aviation Ministry; John Dekyem Attafuah of Ghana Airport Company; Joseph Mensah Browne; Kwaku Kwafo Apeadu and Ign. Mary Obiyaah Anim Obeng – all representatives of the private sector – and Ign. Simon Allotey, from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.
Ms Dapaah administered the professional and secrecy oaths on the members, charging them to work hard to help achieve President Akufo-
Addo’s vision of making Ghana the aviation hub for West Africa.
She expressed confidence in the ability of members of the board, saying they are individuals with professional prowess.
She indicated that every effort was being made to improve the fortunes of the country’s aviation industry, noting that in that regard major restructuring works were being carried out at the Kumasi, Tamale and the Accra Airports.
Madam Dapaah said plans were being made to build another airport at Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, reiterating that the acquisition of a national airline was awaiting cabinet approval.
Acting Chief Director of the ministry, who doubles as a member of the MAB, Christiana Edmund, remarked that the achievement of the ministry would depend greatly on sound policies and prudent implementation of strategies to be adopted through consultations with stakeholders.
Ign. Mary Anim Obeng noted that the decision by President Akufo-Addo to create a special ministry for the aviation industry was in the right direction and so it should be used to raise the aviation sector in the country not just to the standards of the African continent, but also global.
BY Melvin Tarlue