Enoch Teye Mensah (17 May 1946 – 1 October 2023), commonly known as E. T. Mensah, was a Ghanaian politician.[1] He was aMember of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram from 7 January 1997 to 7 January 2017 and held ministerial offices in the presidential administrations of Jerry Rawlings from 1993 to 2001 and John Atta Mills from 2010 to 2012 in Ghana.[2]

Hon.
Enoch Teye Mensah
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Ningo-Prampram
In office
January 1997 – January 2017
Preceded byStanley Basil Bade Carboo
Succeeded bySam George
Majority12,143
Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing
In office
2012–2012
PresidentJohn Atta Mills
Preceded byAlban Bagbin
Succeeded byCollins Dauda
Minister for Employment and Social Welfare
In office
January 2010 – January 2012
PresidentJohn Atta Mills
Preceded byStephen Amoanor Kwao
Succeeded byMoses Asaga
Minister for Youth and Sports
In office
January 1993 – January 2001
PresidentJerry Rawlings
Preceded byArnold Quainoo
Succeeded byMallam Issah
Personal details
Born(1946-05-17)17 May 1946
Koforidua, Gold Coast
Died1 October 2023(2023-10-01) (aged 77)
South Africa
NationalityGhanaian
Political partyNational Democratic Congress
Children7
CommitteesPublic Accounts Committee
House Committee
Finance Committee
Mines and Energy
Trade, Industry and Tourism
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Volta

Early life and education

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Mensah was born on 17 May 1946 and came 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

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As Mayor of Accra

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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

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Mensah was a Ghanaian politician and stood for the Ghanaian parliamentary election in 1996. He 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. After the NDC lost the 2000 elections, he continued as a member of parliament, winning subsequent elections in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and 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 tenure in parliament.[7]

As Minister of State

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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

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Mensah was married with seven children.[12] He died in South Africa on 1 October 2023, at the age of 77.[13][14]

Honours

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Mensah was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Volta by President Kufuor's government.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Council of State member and former Ningo-Prampram MP E.T. Mensah passes on". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  2. ^ "#NDCDecides: Sam George crushes Prampram 'Mugabe' ET Mensah". Citinewsroom. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. ^ "ET Mensah elected to Council of State". Accra Metropolitan Assembly. 12 February 2021.
  4. ^ "HON. MENSAH, ENOCH TEYE". Parliament of Ghana. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  5. ^ "Enoch Teye Mensah, Hon". mobile ghanaweb. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b "President Kufuor nominates 241 for National Awards". Radio Gold Online. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  7. ^ Afanyi Dadzie, Ebenezer (22 November 2015). "#NDCDecides: Sam George crushes Prampram 'Mugabe' ET Mensah". CitiFM. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Bagbin/E.T. Mensah in reshuffle is unfortunate timing". MyJoyOnline. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Ghana reconstitutes members for Pan-African Parliament". MyJoyOnline. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  10. ^ "E.T. Mensah Takes Over Education". General News. Ghana Home Page. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  11. ^ Bonney, Emmanuel (12 February 2021). "Greater Accra: E.T. Mensah gets 100 percent endorsement on Council of State". Graphic Online. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ E.T. Mensah passes away
  14. ^ "Former MP for Ningo-Prampram E.T. Mensah dies at 77". 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
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Parliament of Ghana
Preceded by
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram
1997–2017
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Youth and Sports
1993–2001
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Employment and Social Welfare
2010–2012
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing
2012
Succeeded by