Samuel Attah-Mensah, also known as 'Sammens', is a Ghanaian media personality, business man and lecturer. He is the managing director of award-winning Accra-based English speaking radio station Citi FM. He is also the Vice President of Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).[1] He is a Fellow of the third class of the African Leadership Initiative-West Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.[2][3]
Education
editIn 1992, Attah-Mensah graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana) with a first degree in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of Leicester, UK. Before that, he had attended Hecta School in Akyem Oda, and State Experimental in Kumasi.[4][5]
Early life
editAttah-Mensah was born at Tema in Ghana.[4] He holds a first degree in Computer Science from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology and an MBA from Leicester University in the UK.[6] He has served as panel member of the Association of International Broadcasters and was the Vice President of Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).
Career
editAttah-Mensah started his career as an I.T. systems officer with the then ICL Computers and Digitronix Systems, combining systems work with sales and marketing.[7] He then ventured into media, first as a passion and then later building a career out of it. Attah-Mensah also worked as a Market Development Manager for Coca-Cola West Africa in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where he was involved in rebuilding Coca-Cola's presence in these countries after civil wars.[4]
In 2015 Atta-Mensah was known to have prayed the Supreme Court of Ghana to step in after the country's Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho refused to take the mandatory oath of office, before acting as head of state, when the president John Dramani Mahama and his vice were away on official assignments.[8]
On April 13, 2018, Attah-Mensah was appointed by the presidency as head of the Coastal Development Authority to be assisted by four deputies. After less than six months in office, he resigned as the head of the Coastal Development Authority.[9] Attah-Mensah is also on the board of Starwin Products Ltd. and Member of Africa Leadership Initiative. He has close to 15 years of experience in general, marketing and media management[10] and he is the managing director of Omni Media Ltd, the operator of Citi 97.3 FM and Citifmonline.com.[11]
He also served as Programmes Director at Multimedia Broadcasting, where he oversaw the setting up of a number of radio stations in Accra, Kumasi and Tema, all in Ghana. He was honoured with a Special Recognition Award at the 13th Gong Gong Awards organized by the Advertising Association of Ghana.[12]
Bureau of National Investigations issue
editIn 2014, Samuel Atta-Mensah was picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for questioning after the publication of a story on citifmonline.com about a 12 kg cocaine drug bust at Heathrow Airport, involving a Ghanaian woman.[13][14] Despite his release,[15] the national security agency was heavily criticized for what many believed was an extreme move.[16]
References
edit- ^ "I would've sacked this Adakabre boy if ... - Citi FM boss". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Aspen Global Leadership Network". The Aspen Institute. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Muje Ghangeria Class". Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ a b c "Samuel Atta-Mensah named 2019 commencement speaker". www.ashesi.edu.gh. 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Samuel Attah-Mensah | The AIBs". theaibs.tv. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ Gadzekpo, Gilbert (31 October 2017). "Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship Hosts Mr. Samuel Attah Mensah As Corporate Executive in Residence". University of Ghana Business School. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ Gadzekpo, Gilbert (31 October 2017). "Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship Hosts Mr. Samuel Attah Mensah As Corporate Executive in Residence". University of Ghana Business School. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ Allotey, Godwin Akweiteh (5 March 2015). "Supreme Court adjourns CITI FM boss, Speaker case indefinitely". citifmonline. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Samuel Attah-Mensah Resigns As CEO Of Coastal Dev't Authority". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ "Samuel Attah-Mensah | The AIBs". theaibs.tv. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ "I didn't travel to US on government sponsorship - Citi FM Managing Director". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Special Recognition Award". citinewsroom.com. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Citi FM Manager picked up by BNI over cocaine report". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ Online, Peace FM. "Busted Ghanaian Cocaine Dealer Saga...BNI Picks Up CitiFM GM; Lawyer Speaks". www.peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ "Citi FM boss, Samuel Attah Mensah released by BNI - Local News | Viasat1.com.gh". www.viasat1.com.gh. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Arrest of Citi FM Manager puts Ghana in same league as Somalia". Retrieved 13 July 2016.