Dr. Freda Prempeh Is New Minister for Sanitation

In what appears to be a smart move to favour the representation of females in Government, President Akufo-Addo has appointed Member of Parliament for the Tano North Constiuency, Dr. Freda Prempeh, as the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources to fill the vacuum created by the resignation of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency on Tuesday, July 25 which said the appointment of Dr. Freda Prempeh takes an immediate effect.

Dr Freda Prempeh is currently a Minister of State at the Ministry of Works and Housing, and being a serving Minister, she would not need to be vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament before she occupies her new portfolio.

She comes on board  with some significant experience having once served as a Deputy Minister of the same Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources  when the Ministry  was under the Ministry of Works and Housing.

After the resignation of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the search for a successor brought to the fore a list of suitable notables with Dr. Freda Prempeh being the only female among the lot.

Other names that popped up include Francis Asenso-Boakye, the current Minister of Works and Housing,  the well experienced O.B. Amoah currently a Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and that of the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

The Tuesday July 25 statement signed and issued by Eugene Arhin also noted  that the President, in consultation with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Roads and Highways, respectively, has also appointed the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways and Member of Parliament for Afigya Sekyere East, Mavis Nkansah Boadu, as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Member of Parliament for Tatale/Sanguli, Thomas Mbomba, as Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways.

 Dr. Freda Prempeh In Brief:

Dr. Freda Prempeh, is a self-disciplined devoted Public Servant and a Brands & Communication Expert. She is a three-time Member of Parliament for Tano-North Constituency.

She is a former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, the immediate past Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and currently the Minister of State, Ministry of Works and Housing.

She obtained her 1st Degree in Business Administration from the University of Ghana. Hon. Dr. Freda Prempeh has a Masters in Marketing, Masters in Media and Public Relations, and a PhD in Business Administration from the Ghana Telecommunication University in March 2021. She had the award of the Best Student in Population Communication on July 31, 1998, from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

She has been a gender activist for years and founder of “The Ultimate Woman”.

Hon. Dr. Freda Prempeh has the aptitude for politics and as such served as Assembly Member for the Lakoo Electoral Area for a period of eight years where she chaired the Women and Children Sub-Committee and the Development Planning Sub-Committee. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, she worked with the Prison Service for ten years. She also served on the National Reconciliation Commission as a Public Affairs Officer in 2006.

Dr. Prempeh got the nod from her constituency to be the MP of the Tano North Constituency in the Ahafo region on the ticket of the NPP in the year 2013, and has since been their Parliamentary representative for 9 years. Through her relentless effort and commitment, she served on the Communications, Government Assurances and the Mines and Energy committees in Parliament in the past years and is currently serving on the Local Government Committee and Government Assurances Committee. She is a development-oriented person and has chalked a lot of successes in her quest to develop her constituency. Health, education and infrastructural development remain her priorities and high on her agenda.

As a sports fanatic and staunch believer of women’s capabilities, she founded the Women Supporters Union of Ghana (WOSUGHA). She was the chairperson of the Women’s Championship, African Cup of Nations, (AFCON) hosted in Ghana. She is an Accredited Member of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR, Ghana); an Associate Member of Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana and an Affiliate Member of the Journalists Association (GJA).

Hon. Dr. Freda Prempeh has attended a number of workshops and conferences, and received many awards in recognition of her undaunting leadership, dedication and selfless service and also promoting gender issues. Amongst the many awards are the Ultimate Woman Laureate, Orlando Spirit of Service Award, The Brong-Ahafo Young Adult Fellowship Award for Excellence, Distinguished Leadership Award for Excellence and the Ghana Nigeria Achievers Award.

Despite her busy schedule, she has very interesting hobbies which she usually engages in as a way of relaxation. Paramount of them are cooking, dancing, and watching movies and sports.