Kojo Yankah
Encyclopedia
Kojo Acquah Yankah is a former Member of Parliament
in Ghana
. He also served as a Minister of State
in the Rawlings government
. He is the founder and President of the African University College of Communications and is also a former editor of the Daily Graphic
, the widest circulation newspaper in Ghana.
of the Central Region
of Ghana. His primary education was in various schools in the Central Region. He attended Adisadel College
for his secondary education. He then taught for a few years before proceeding to the University of Ghana
where he graduated with a B.A. Honors degree in English.
military government came to power, he was appointed editor of the government owned Daily Graphic newspaper which had the highest circulation in Ghana. He was later appointed Director of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
In 2001, he established the Africa Institute of Journalism and Communications. This institution has now become the African University College of Communications, affiliated to the University of Ghana and with accreditation from the National Accreditation Board in March 2004.
on the National Democratic Congress
ticket and won the seat for the Agona East
constituency. He retained the seat in the 1996 election
to have a second term. During the second term of the Rawlings government
, Yankah was first appointed Central Regional Minister. He was later shifted to Ashanti Regional Minister, a position he held for only 11 months before he was moved to the National Development Planning Commission as a Minister of State. This led to his resignation from the government.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He also served as a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Rawlings government
Rawlings government
This is a listing of the ministers who served in Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 1993, after 11 years of military rule by Rawlings...
. He is the founder and President of the African University College of Communications and is also a former editor of the Daily Graphic
Daily Graphic (Ghana)
The Daily Graphic is a state owned daily newspaper published in Accra, Ghana.The paper was established along with the Sunday Mirror in 1950, by Cecil King of the London Daily Mirror Group. It is the most widely read daily newspaper in the country...
, the widest circulation newspaper in Ghana.
Education
Kojo Yankah was born at Agona Duakwa in the Agona East DistrictAgona East District
The Agona East District is a district of Ghana in the Western Region of Ghana. The district is among the new districts and municipalities created in 2008 by the then President, John Kufuor. It was inaugurated on the 29th of February 2008....
of the Central Region
Central Region (Ghana)
The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
of Ghana. His primary education was in various schools in the Central Region. He attended Adisadel College
Adisadel College
Adisadel College is an Anglican school for boys in Cape Coast, Ghana, modelled on the English public school.-History:Adisadel was established in 1910 in a building at Topp Yard, near Christ Church and Cape Coast Castle...
for his secondary education. He then taught for a few years before proceeding to the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
where he graduated with a B.A. Honors degree in English.
Communications
After graduation, Kojo Yankah taught at the Adisadel College for two years. He worked with various government institutions including the Information Services Department and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. In 1982, after the Provisional National Defence CouncilProvisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
military government came to power, he was appointed editor of the government owned Daily Graphic newspaper which had the highest circulation in Ghana. He was later appointed Director of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
In 2001, he established the Africa Institute of Journalism and Communications. This institution has now become the African University College of Communications, affiliated to the University of Ghana and with accreditation from the National Accreditation Board in March 2004.
Politics
With the return to party politics in Ghana, Yankah stood for elections as MP in the Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1992Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1992
The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 29 December 1992. This were the first parliamentary elections since the 1979 election, 13 years earlier. Presidential elections were held earlier on 3 November 1992. Only 28.1% of the registered voters turned out for the parliamentary elections...
on the National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress (Ghana)
The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
ticket and won the seat for the Agona East
Agona East (Ghana parliament constituency)
Agona East is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency. He retained the seat in the 1996 election
Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1996
The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 1996. Presidential elections were held on the same day. The result was a victory for the National Democratic Con, which won 133 of the 200 seats.-Results:-By region:-See also:...
to have a second term. During the second term of the Rawlings government
Rawlings government
This is a listing of the ministers who served in Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 1993, after 11 years of military rule by Rawlings...
, Yankah was first appointed Central Regional Minister. He was later shifted to Ashanti Regional Minister, a position he held for only 11 months before he was moved to the National Development Planning Commission as a Minister of State. This led to his resignation from the government.