Mustapha Ussif

Hon. Mustapha Ussif
Minister of Youth and Sports
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 March 2021
Preceded by	Isaac Kwame Asiamah
Member of Ghana parliament for Yagaba-Kubori constituency
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 January 2021
Preceded by	Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim
Member of Ghana parliament for Yagaba-Kubori constituency
In office 7 January 2013 – 6 January 2017
Preceded by	Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim
Succeeded by	Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim
Personal details
Born	(1979-08-16) 16 August 1979 (age 45) Ghana
Political party	New Patriotic Party
Alma mater	Bagabaga Teacher Training College Anglia Ruskin University University of Gloucestershire

Mustapha Ussif (born 16 August 1979) is a Ghanaian politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and a member of the 8th parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana representing the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency in the North East Region of Ghana.[1] On 21 January 2021, he was nominated by Nana Akufo-Addo to serve as Minister of Youth and Sports.[2][3]

Early life and education

Ussif was born on 16 August 1979. He hails from Tantaala in the Northern Region of Ghana. He studied at Bagabaga Teacher Training College and Anglia Ruskin University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and Management in 2010. He continued at the University of Gloucestershire where he graduated in 2011 with a master's degree in Finance and Investment.[4][5]

Career

Ussif worked as an Investment Analyst at Ray and Associates, UK in 2010. That same year, he joined Action Aid UK where he worked as a Freelance Consultant.[4][5]

Politics

Member of Parliament

Ussif entered parliament on 7 January 2013 on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party after defeating the incumbent member of parliament Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim. He represented the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency from 2013 to 2017 in the 6th parliament but subsequently lost in his bid to be reelected into the 7th parliament to his previous opponent Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim of the National Democratic Congress during the 2016 Ghanaian general election.[4][5] In that 6th parliament, he served on the Mines and Energy Committee, and the Standing Orders Committee.[4][5]

He stood for the NPP's parliamentary primaries unopposed and was declared the person to represent the party in the 2020 December elections.[6][7] He beat the incumbent member of parliament Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim who he had faced on two occasions in the past elections. He won with 18,153 votes representing 64.01% whilst his opponent had 9,393 votes representing 33.14%[1][8]

Executive Director of NSS

In 2017, He was appointed to serve as the executive director of the National Service Scheme by president, Nana Akufo-Addo during the first term of his government.[9]

Minister of Youth and Sports

After winning back the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency seat in 2020, Ussif was nominated on 21 January 2021 by President Nana Akufo-Addo to serve as Minister of Youth and Sports during his second term.[2][3] After going through vetting in Parliament of Ghana and passing he was sworn into office on 5 March 2021 along with 27 other minister-designates at the Jubilee House, Accra.[10][11][12]

Personal life

Ussif is married with two children. He identifies as a Muslim.[4][5]

References

1. "NSS boss heads to parliament with landslide victory". Citinewsroom. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
2. "Nana Akufo-Addo presents first list of ministers for his second term to parliament - MyJoyOnline.com". Myjoyonline. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
3. "Akufo-Addo nominates new ministers for second term; over 16 ministers maintain portfolio". Graphic Online. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
4. "Member of Parliament Ussif Muatapha". Ghana Web. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
5. "Ghana MPs – List of MPs". GhanaMps. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
6. Ofori, J. (11 August 2019). "NSS boss goes unopposed; targets Yagaba/Kubori seat in 2020". Dailymailgh. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
7. "NSS Boss To Go Unopposed In The NPP Primaries For Yagaba Kubori". Modern Ghana. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
8. "Yagaba/ Kubori Summary - 2020 Elections". www.modernghana.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
9. "Akufo-Addo appoints former MP Mustapha Ussif as NSS boss". MyJoyOnline. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
10. "GOC Congratulates new minister". Graphic Online. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
11. "Akufo-Addo swears in 28 new ministers". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
12. "Mustapha Ussif sworn into office as new Sports Minister". Happy Ghana. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.