Enoch Teye Mensah
Enoch Teye Mensah (17 May 1946 – 1 October 2023), commonly known as E. T. Mensah, was a Ghanaian politician.[1] He was a Minister for Education and a Member of Parliament in Ghana from January 1997 till January 2017.[2]
Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ghana Parliament for Ningo-Prampram | |
| In office January 1997 – January 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Stanley Basil Bade Carboo |
| Succeeded by | Sam George |
| Majority | 12,143 |
| Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing | |
| In office 2012–2012 | |
| President | John Atta Mills |
| Preceded by | Alban Bagbin |
| Succeeded by | Collins Dauda |
| Minister for Employment and Social Welfare | |
| In office January 2010 – January 2012 | |
| President | John Atta Mills |
| Preceded by | Stephen Amoanor Kwao |
| Succeeded by | Moses Asaga |
| Minister for Youth and Sports | |
| In office January 1993 – January 2001 | |
| President | Jerry Rawlings |
| Preceded by | Arnold Quainoo |
| Succeeded by | Mallam Issah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 May 1946 Koforidua, Gold Coast |
| Died | 1 October 2023 (aged 77) South Africa |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress |
| Children | 7 |
| Committees | Public Accounts Committee House Committee Finance Committee Mines and Energy Trade, Industry and Tourism |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Volta |
Early life and education
Mensah was born on 17 May 1946 and comes from Prampram in the Greater Accra Region Ghana.[3] He schooled at the SNAPS College of Accountancy, which he completed in 1968. He also had his RSA III in 1970, and he became a fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants in 1986.[4] He was an Account Officer and worked at the University of Ghana, Legon as Accounting Officer.[5]
Political career
As Mayor of Accra
During the time of the PNDC military regime in Ghana, he was the long time Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), akin to being the Mayor of the City of Accra. He joined the National Democratic Congress when it was formed in 1992.
As Member of Parliament
Mensah was a Ghanaian politician and stood for the Ghanaian parliamentary election in 1996 and was elected member of Parliament for the Ningo-Prampram constituency, holding the seat for almost a decade. He first went into parliament after he was elected as a member of Parliament of the second parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana during the 1996 Ghanaian General Election. He polled a total valid vote cast of 15,677 representing 56.10% defeating his opponents; Desmond Nene Quaynor who polled 1,569 which represent 5.60% of the total votes cast and Gwendolyn Sara Addo an Independent candidate who also polled 1,537 representing 5.50% under the membership of the National Democratic Congress. After the NDC lost the 2000 elections, he continued as a member of parliament, winning in subsequent elections in 2004, 2008 and 2012, maintaining his seat until 2016. He once served as the Minority Chief Whip in parliament prior to the Ghanaian parliamentary election in 2008.[6] In January 2009, when the NDC won majority in parliament, he became the Majority Chief Whip in parliament.
On 21 November 2015, Mensah lost the NDC parliamentary primaries to Sam George, bringing an end to his 20 years stay in parliament and chance to be stand for MP in the 2016 elections.[7]
As Minister of State
At the beginning of the Fourth Republic, he was appointed Minister for Youth and Sports by President Jerry Rawlings. Mensah held that position through both terms of the Rawlings government. In January 2010, after a cabinet reshuffle, President John Atta Mills appointed him Minister for Employment and Social Welfare.[8]
Mensah was a member of the Pan-African Parliament until January 2009, when he resigned after being appointed a member of state.[9] In January 2011, he was appointed Minister for Education following the resignation of Betty Mould-Iddrisu.[10]
On 12 February 2021, Mensah was unanimously elected as the representative of Council of State for the Greater Accra Region.[11]
Personal life and death
Mensah was married with seven children.[12] He died in South Africa on 1 October 2023, at the age of 77.[13][14]
Honours
Mensah was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Volta by President Kufuor's government.[6]
References
- "Council of State member and former Ningo-Prampram MP E.T. Mensah passes on". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- "#NDCDecides: Sam George crushes Prampram 'Mugabe' ET Mensah". Citinewsroom.com. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- "ET Mensah elected to Council of State". Accra Metropolitan Assembly. 12 February 2021.
- "HON. MENSAH, ENOCH TEYE". Parliament of Ghana. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- "Enoch Teye Mensah, Hon". mobile.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "President Kufuor nominates 241 for National Awards". Radio Gold Online. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
- Afanyi Dadzie, Ebenezer (22 November 2015). "#NDCDecides: Sam George crushes Prampram 'Mugabe' ET Mensah". CitifmOnline. CitiFM. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- "Bagbin/E.T. Mensah in reshuffle is unfortunate timing". MyJoyOnline.com. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- "Ghana reconstitutes members for Pan-African Parliament". MyJoyOnline. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- "E.T. Mensah Takes Over Education". General News. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- Bonney, Emmanuel (12 February 2021). "Greater Accra: E.T. Mensah gets 100 percent endorsement on Council of State". Graphic Online. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Mensah, Eyo O. (7 September 2023). "Death is the cause of my predicament: A cross-cultural study of death-related personal names in Nigeria". Death Studies: 1–11. doi:10.1080/07481187.2023.2254728. ISSN 0748-1187.
- E.T. Mensah passes away
- "Former MP for Ningo-Prampram E.T. Mensah dies at 77". 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.