Hon.
Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey
General Secretary for NDC
Assumed office
2022
Preceded byJohnson Asiedu-Nketia
Member of Parliament
for Ketu South
In office
7 January 2013 – 6 January 2021
Preceded byAlbert Kwasi Zigah
Succeeded byDzifa Gomashie
Minister for Transport
In office
February 2016 – January 2017
PresidentJohn Mahama
Preceded byDzifa Attivor
Succeeded byKweku Asiamah
Minister of Food and Agriculture
In office
2014–2015
PresidentJohn Mahama
Preceded byClement Kofi Humado
Succeeded byLimuna Mohammed Muniru
Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied Institutions
In office
2013–2014
PresidentJohn Mahama
Deputy Minister of Finance
In office
2009–2013
PresidentJohn Atta-Mills
Preceded byGeorge Gyan-Baffour
Succeeded byCassiel Ato Forson
Personal details
Born
Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey

(1967-06-02) 2 June 1967
Nogokpo, Ghana
NationalityGhana Ghanaian
Political partyNational Democratic Congress
Children4

Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey (born 2 June 1967) is a Ghanaian politician and General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress.[1] He is a former 2 term Member of Parliament for the Ketu South constituency in Ghana.[2][3] He was Propaganda secretary for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).[4][5][6]

Early life and education

Kwetey was born in Hohoe but comes from Nogokpo both in the Volta Region of Ghana.[7] He attended Bishop Herman College in Kpando in 1987, where he acquired his O level certificate. He further moved to Achimota School for his A level certificate.[8][9] He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology from the University of Ghana. In 1994, he obtained the Diplômes de la Chambre de Commerce et d'industrie de Paris (CCIP) (Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Higher Diploma, Paris).[7][3] Kwetey acquired a B.A HONS from the University of Ghana[10]

Career

After the university, Kwetey did his national service with the office of Parliament from October 1993 to July 1994.[11] After the mandatory 1-year national service he moved to work as a Financial Analyst and a stockbroker at the Investment Banking firm, Strategic African Securities Ltd in July 1995. He subsequently moved to CDH Financial Holdings Ltd as a Funds Manager, Investment Analyst and a Stockbroker where he worked from April 1998 to February 2002, whilst also serving as a tutor for some financial Courses at the Ghana Stock Exchange.[11]

Politics

Whilst in university, Kwetey was as a student leader, serving as the chairman for the National Democratic Congress branch on the University of Legon Campus.[11] In December 2005, Kwetey contested in the national NDC executive elections and won to become the chief communicator for the NDC. Serving as the chief communicator which his party dubbed as the party's Propaganda Secretary, he was seen as the person to criticize the other parties and raise pertinent issues regarding their parties whilst defending his party on the necessary platforms.[11][12][13] The position Propaganda Secretary was subsequently rebranded into the National Communications Officer.[12]

Deputy Minister for Finance

In 2009, Kwetey was appointed by John Atta Mills to serve as deputy Minister for Finance to Kwabena Duffuor who was then Minister for Finance. He was sworn into office in April 2009 after going through vetting in parliament.[14][13] He worked in that role until January 2013.[15]

Member of Parliament

In 2012, Kwetey won the Ketu South National Democratic Congress primaries into the 2012 Parliamentary Elections. He won the primaries by getting 403 votes as against 60 votes polled by the then incumbent Albert Ziga, who came third and Raphael Alorwu who polled 82 votes, whiles Nyphson Agbagedy also got 30 votes.[16][17] Kwetey subsequently won the Ketu South parliamentary elections by getting 77,837 votes which represented 88.92% of the votes cast against his closest contender Godwin Yayra Nkuawu of the New Ptriotic party who got 4,122 votes representing 4.71%.[18]

In 2015, Fiifi Kwetey was maintained as the National Democratic Congress candidate for the Ketu South constituency going into the 2016 parliamentary elections. He won the primaries by polling 146,10 votes representing 86.13% to beat Sylvanus Amedorme who garnered 1,375 votes and Famous Kuadugah, 637 votes at Denu in the Volta Region.[19][20]

He was elected in the 2016 Elections to serve as member of parliament for Ketu South for another term in the parliament of Ghana after getting 48,723 votes representing 65.47% of the total votes against his closest contender Jim Yao Morti an independent candidate who got 18,643 votes representing 25.04%.[21] Jim Yao Morti was a former member of the NDC who had been disqualified during the vetting process and suspended subsequently by the NDC and was contesting as an independent candidate.[22][23]

Minister of State

Kwetey was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama to serve as Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied Institutions in February 2013.[24] His role was to work hand in hand with the finance ministry through the office of the president to monitor and regulate the financial and allied institutions. Serving that capacity he inaugurated a five-member steering committee for the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA) to oversee the implementation of a three-year capacity building agreement with the Swiss Government.[25] The Swiss government had granted the Ghanaian Government an amount of 2.4million to support the Authority to build up their human capacity, establish a better functional organizational structure to help them perform their role as the regulator that ensures the pension scheme and system protects and truly promotes the interest of the pensioners in Ghana.[25]

Minister of Food and Agriculture

He served in this role until he was reassigned to serve as Minister of Food and Agriculture to replace Clement Kofi Humado.[26][27] His role as a finance person was to ensure the Ghanaian Agricultural sector would see a rise in production and the reduction in importation of good and rise in exportation. His vision was to push the agricultural ministry into an agribusiness oriented rather than just food production oriented agriculture sector.[28]

He was later moved to Minister for Transport after Mrs. Dzifa Ativor resigned after issues regarding the controversial GHS 3.6m bus re-branding contract

Personal life

He is married to Naomi Kwetey and together they have 4 children.[11]

Anti-Muslim comment

In his capacity as propaganda secretary of the NDC and adviser to former President Rawlings, Fiifi Kwetey in 2007 stated during an interaction with US embassy officials that "in no uncertain terms that a Muslim can never become the President of the Republic of Ghana". He went ahead to say that "While most Ghanaians would not admit this openly, a Muslim could not be elected President of Ghana".[29] Brought to light following the mass leakage of US diplomatic cables in 2010, his comments provoked anger among Ghanaian Muslims who have demanded that he retract his statements and apologize. As of March 2015, he has yet to take back his words and render an apology to the Muslim community.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fifi Kwetey elected General Secretary of NDC - Graphic Online". Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Transport Ministry pledges to support GMA enhance maritime safety". GraphicGhana. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Hon. Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey". parliament Ghana. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "WikiLeaks: Muslims can't be President - Fiifi Kwetey". GhanaWeb. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Okoampa-Ahoofe, Kwame (16 September 2011). "Fiifi Kwetey And The NDC-Ewe Agenda". Peace Fm. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. 1 2 Sulemana Abubakar (Nasara Coordinator NPP) (14 September 2011). "NPP's NASARA DAMNS FIIFI KWETEY AND DEMANDS APOLOGY TO MUSLIMS". Ghana. Archived from the original on 9 November 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Kwetey, Fifi Fiavi Franklin". Ghanamps. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tears for Lauretta and Fiifi Kwetey". Graphic Online. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Boasting about one's academic success is vanity – Fifi Kwetey tells Franklin Cudjoe". Graphic Online. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  10. ↑ mohammed. "Fifi Kwetey, Biography". Ghanaweb. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fifi's Journey: How Well Do You Know Hon Fifi Fiavi Franklin Kwetey?". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  12. 1 2 "NDC: Propaganda Secretary post now Communications officer". tv3network. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey: Daring and Defiant Deputy". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  14. ↑ "Fiifi Kwetey, others sworn into office". MyJoyOnline. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  15. ↑ Dogbevi, Emmanuel (31 October 2012). "Deputy Finance Minister appeals to companies to honour tax obligations". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Daily Graphic (27 May 2012). "Fifi Kwetey wins Ketu South primaries". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Fiifi Kwetey battles MP over Ketu South seat". MyJoyOnline. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  18. ↑ FM, Peace. "Ketu South Constituency Results - Election 2012". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  19. ↑ GNA (31 December 2015). "Fiifi Kwetey wins Ketu South election". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  20. ↑ Dzamboe, Tim (29 December 2015). "Ketu South NDC selects 2016 candidate". Graphic Online. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  21. ↑ FM, Peace. "2016 Election - Ketu South Constituency Results". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  22. ↑ Ati, Lord-Chester (18 November 2015). "Suspended And Disqualified Parliamentary Aspirant, Jim Yao Morti In Court To Place Injunction On 21st Congress In Ketu South". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "Ketu South Political Giants To Fall". DailyGuide Network. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  24. ↑ Dogbevi, Emmanuel (15 February 2013). "Parliament approves nine more Presidential appointees". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  25. 1 2 "Fifi Kwetey inaugurated a five-member steering committee for NPRA". News Ghana. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  26. ↑ "List of Mahama's new ministers and deputy ministers". MyJoyOnline. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  27. ↑ "Mahama nominates former boss Spio-Garbrah as Trade and Industry Minister". tv3network. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Fifi's Journey: How Well Do You Know Hon Fifi Fiavi Franklin Kwetey?". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  29. ↑ "Muslims Can't Be President - Fiifi Kwetey". The New Statesman. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
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