Former boss of the NSS at the head of the Ministry of Sports

Former boss of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and deputy for Yagaba-Kubori, Mustapha Ussif was appointed by President Akufo-Addo as designated minister of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Mr Ussif, who until recently headed the national service system as an executive director, is credited with a significant transformation within the institution.

These transformational legacies include the introduction of a paperless registration process, a certificate issuance service, a staff authentication process and many more.

The new candidate for the Minister of Sports is from Yagaba-Kubori, in the North-East region, and was first a member of the constituency in the 6th Parliament of the 4th Republic.

He then lost his seat to his predecessor in 2016 before being appointed head of the NSS, where he served until he took over the parliamentary seat from Yagaba-Kubori in the 2020 elections.

Mr. Ussif was educated at the secondary school in Salaga and then enrolled in the Teacher Training College of Bagabaga from 1998 to 2001.

He then taught at Watania JSS for a while.

Between 2007 and 2010, lawmakers traveled to Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, UK to study a BA (Hon) in International Business Management.

He again embarked on an executive program in management development at the University of Wales and also holds an MBA in finance with distinction from the University of Gloucestershire in the UK.

He also worked as an independent consultant for Action Aid UK and was an active member of the Mining and Energy Committee of the 6th Parliament of the 4th Republic.

He replaces Isaac Kwame Asiamah who was Minister of Sports during the first term of the Akufo-Addo government from 2017 to 2021.

He joins 29 other candidates appointed to different ministries as announced in a press release from the director of communications to the presidency, Eugène Arhin.

Mr Ussif and the other candidates are expected to meet with the parliamentary nominating committee chaired by the first vice-president, Joseph Osei Owusu.