“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus” – Martin Luthar King Jnr
I have observed with great dismay how mettlesome Members of Parliament have gone down in the recently conducted general elections. The results of the parliamentary elections make for an unpardonable case study, particularly in a political science class. While giant lawmakers have fallen, others like the venerable John Ampontuah Kumah have surfaced basking in energy, courage, and determination to make a difference in the lives of his constituents and in extension contribute his quota towards the realization of President Akufo-Addo’s developmental agenda.
John Kumah entered the race to become Member of Parliament for Ejisu after battling the incumbent Hon. Owusu Aduomi in a keenly contested party primaries as he was given the nod by delegates to represent his constituents in parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). For a man who is fondly described as a man of integrity, one who has a unifying character and demonstrable traits of humility and one who inspires hope for the future in both young and old, people of Ejisu are assured that they will be well represented in parliament.
That aside, he enters parliament with over 17 years of continuous working and leadership experience which exhibit his creativity, innovation and resourcefulness in creating jobs, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting youth development. As the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), he oversaw the training of 45,000 startups in three years, under the Presidential Business Support Programme and supported 10,000 beneficiaries, leading to the creation of numerous jobs for the youth all over the country.
In his professional career, he was the founding Managing Director of Majak Associates Ltd, a building and construction firm with footprint construction projects all over Ghana. Upon becoming a lawyer, he founded the Aduaprokye Chambers, and was the Managing Partner of the law firm, until the President appointed him as CEO of the NEIP in 2017.
After studying to become a lawyer in 2013, he pursued a doctorate degree in Business Administration, with a speciality in Business Innovation from the Swiss Business School, Switzerland. Before that, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with Philosophy from the University of Ghana (Legon), and holds master’s degrees in Applied Business Research from the Swiss Business School and an Executive Masters in Business Administration (Finance) from GIMPA, Accra.
His commitment to serving drew him a lot of admiration within the governance structure of President Akufo-Addo, and it was not surprising to see him adjudged the most efficient, prominent government Appointee of President Akufo-Addo’s administration and was subsequently listed among the President’s top 20 most humble and respectful appointees in 2019.
He, therefore, serves as a good example and a perfect role model for his constituents as he inspires hope in the youth, the poor and disadvantaged in society and now that he has been given the mandate to represent his people in the august house of parliament, he surely will do it to the best of his abilities. The change that Ejisuman so much desire is here and with this new dawn, Ejisu will obtain its fair share of the national cake.
The writer is Nathaniel Alpha, a Social Media Strategist.
