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Politics of Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Source: Hamza Lansah Lolly

Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has served the NPP with distinction

Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam

Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam (also called Anta) has accumulated over 20 years of political experience and is safely described as one of the most experienced northern politicians in the Dombo-Busia tradition.

He started politics very early in his life, right from secondary school. His interest in politics earned him a nickname “political Anta” whilst he was in secondary school at Northern School of Business from 1988 to 1990.

Whilst at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), he was a very active member of the NPP and worked with closely Madam Christine Churcher, then NPP Candidate for Cape Coast, during the elections in 1996.

He was the Secretary of the University of Cape Coast branch of the NPP (now known as TESCON), taking over from Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid, Minister for Zongo and Inner Cities Development. During that time, he led NPP members of the University to many outreach programs, propagating the philosophy of the party.

This earned him the admiration of the NPP National Headquarters and particularly those of the late Major Courage Quashigah, then National Organzier of the Party and Mr. Dan Botwe, then Director of Operations.

Dr. Amin, therefore, traveled with the two-party stalwarts to South Africa, Kenya and Germany with support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for training in the party’s liberal philosophy and political strategy.

In the 1996 elections, he was also a regular speaker on NPP platforms throughout the Northern Region and particularly in Tamale where he pulled major crowds to NPP rallies.

Dr. Amin was in 1998 elected the National Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and two months later, became the National President by popular acclamation at the Central Committee of NUGS. This enhanced his political apprenticeship as he became a very popular leader in the struggle for the welfare and interest of Ghanaian students.

He had close engagements with Ministers on tertiary education reforms and led negotiations on behalf of Ghanaian students on matters such as the student SSNIT loan scheme, academic user and residential user fees.

In 2000, Dr. Amin was elected the Parliamentary Candidate of the then opposition NPP for the then Choggu Tishegu Constituency, one of two constituencies in Tamale. He was a student studying for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Economics at UCC, but stopped the programme to pursue a parliamentary career.

When he was not successful in the elections, he returned to complete his studies and was awarded MPhil. Degree in 2002.

At the age of 27, he would have become one of the younger members of parliament if he won the elections, which he lost narrowly to the late Hon. Abubakari Sumani.

The NPP government under President J.A. Kufour offered him opportunity to serve his country, working as Research Officer at the seat of Government, the Castle Osu, as a board member of the Ghana National Service Scheme and Commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).

In 2004, Dr. Amin was elected the first NPP parliamentary Candidate for the Tamale Central Constituency, a newly created constituency. His popularity in Tamale was demonstrated by the 5000 votes he got more than those of his presidential candidate.

But for the circumstances in Dagbon following the murder of the then Ya Naa, in which the NPP government was accused of alleged complicity, he was expected to win the election to represent the people of Tamale.

In 2005, President Kufour appointed him as Deputy Regional Minister for the Northern Region. He was later to have the opportunity to serve the people of Tamale when the President appointed him Mayor of the City, where he provided exceptional leadership, transformed Tamale to a modern metropolis, and successfully hosted the African Cup of Nations (CAN2008).

Again in 2008, Dr. Amin represented the NPP as its parliamentary candidate.

Whilst the NPP was in opposition, Dr. Amin enrolled at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom to pursue academic studies, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD.) in Petroleum Economics in 2014.

Dr Amin continued to support the NPP during the general elections of 2012 and 2016, working as a member of the campaign of then running mate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamud Bawmia, now Vice President of the Republic. He also served on the Party’s Manifesto Committees during the two general elections. He was a member of the Energy Committee of the Party under the leadership of Mr. Boakye Agyarko.

Upon the return of the NPP to political power under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo, he was appointed a member/secretary of the Energy subcommittee of the NPP Transition Team and was subsequently appointed by the President as Deputy Minister for Energy, a position he continues to hold.

Currently, he is the Parliamentary Candidate of the NPP in the Karaga Constituency for the 2020 General Elections, a member of the National Council of the Party, representing the Northern Region and a member of the Party’s National Elections Committee.