Thomas Mbaa Akabzaa adjudged best Chief Director

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, Professor Thomas Mbaa Akabzaa, has been ranked as an Excellent performer for the fourth time in succession, scoring 90 per cent of the targets set for the ministry in the performance evaluation of chief directors.

The Head of the Civil Service (HCS), yearly assesses the performance of chief directors who head ministries to formulate and implement government policies, on the basis of the achievement of specific key outputs or deliverables set out in the performance agreement between the HCS and the Chief Directors.

Prof. Akabzaa, a geologist, was ranked the best performing Chief Director in 2014 and 2013. He subsequently became second best performing Chief Director again in 2015 and third best in 2016.

Chief directors who achieve 90 per cent of the set target are ranked “Excellent” and awarded, those who score between 70 and 80 per cent are ranked “Good” and score below 70 per cent attracts sanctions.

Speaking with The Ghanaian Times, Prof. Akabzaa said he could not have attained the level of achievement over the years alone and attributed his achievement to the cooperation of the minister, deputies and the staff of the ministry and all the 16 agencies under the ministry.

He lauded the performance appraisal by the HCS and called for continuous support to chief directors to deliver on their mandates.

Prof. Akabzaa noted that the appraisal system has put “the Chief Directors on their toes” and stressed the need to support the HCS to improve and make the appraisal “more credible and transparent.”

Prof Akabzaa holds Bachelor and PhD degrees in Geology with Physics and Geology respectively from the University of Ghana and an M.ENG degree in Mining Engineering (Minerals Economic Option) from McGill Canada.

His academic and research areas are in mining sector investment appraisal, mining and environment, extractive industries and sustainable development, petroleum systems, water quality and vulnerability studiers, global environmental changes and global initiatives in extractive sector.

Prof. Akabzaa has been on secondment to the ministry from the University of Ghana where he had been the Head of Department of Geology between 2008-2010, and he is due to go back to academia.