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Dzifa Abla Gomashie, first female MP for Ketu South Constituency
Hon Dzifa Abla Gomashie, firstfemale Member of Parliament
for Ketu South Constituency
Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie is the Member of Parliament for the Ketu South constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. She is also a queen mother in the Aflao traditional area in the Volta Region with the name ‘Mama Dramado’ meaning, “Take care of me, Mama.”
She appears to be living up to the title of her royal name with success. She was the deputy minister of tourism in the era of the NDC from 2013 to 2017.
Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie, who ran and won on the NDC ticket to represent the Ketu South seat in the 2020 elections, is the first female Member of Parliament for Ketu South.
After winning the NDC parliamentary primaries last year, she is currently running for parliament for the same seat. Her victory margin was substantial, with 1,545 votes, compared to the 913 and 26 votes received by the other candidates, Fogah Nukunu and Jimm Morti, respectively.
Through her non-governmental organisation, Values for Life, she has been serving her people for years, helping women, children, and the youth in a variety of ways and teaching them social and entrepreneurial skills that they would not have learned in a traditional classroom.
She proclaimed openly, “I’ve been blessed with the love, respect and support I have from my constituents,” in an interview with The Spectator.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Speaking about her work as the MP for Ketu South, she mentioned that in the area of health, in 2020, 2021, and 2022, she sponsored free eye testing and screenings, performed free surgeries, and gave medication and prescription glasses to Aflao, Adina, Wudoaba, and Ativuta.
“I also constructed a clinic with a maternity ward at Anoenu in Aflao and helped the Ketu South Municipal Hospital expand its paediatric emergency unit,” she added.
Once more, she provided 46 students with GH¢1,000 each to help with their tuition fees throughout the 2020–2021 academic year.
In addition, she refurbished the Ansahrul Islamic Basic School, built and equipped an I.C.T. lab for the Skills Development Project, and provided 99 students with GH¢500 each in order to help with their school costs for the 2022–2023 academic year.
She did not only provide GH¢3,000 to assist the construction of a mechanised borehole for some Senior High Schools, but she also extended pipe-borne water from the Ketu South Municipal Assembly to the Ketu South Education Directorate.
Regarding youth and sports, she gave GH¢1,500 to the Regional Football Association to help with the purchase of trophies.
Moreover, she first gave GH¢2,000 to the Municipality’s 37th National Farmers Day celebration at Lotakor. She then provided laterite and 20 loads of sand to support the GH¢13,000 rehabilitation of Awakorme Road.
The Ketu South MP has also made a significant appearance in the area of supporting people with disabilities. She gave GH¢3,000 to help fund the visually impaired children’s transition from Chicago-Denu’s Special School for the Blind to Mafi-Adidome’s Avekpedome Unit School for the Blind.
Additionally, she donated GH¢2,000 to purchase detergent and other educational items to aid in the Special Children unit of the Municipal Education Directorate’s teaching and learning initiatives.
Furthermore, she gave 10 sets of jerseys to the teams competing in the Sepenukorpe beach football tournament (Awakorme FC, Viepe FC, Abeliakorpe FC, Atorkukorpe FC, and Sepenukorpe FC). In matters of faith and customs, Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie backed churches, other places of worship, and customary lands within the constituency.
for Ketu South Constituency
Her commitment for helping the underprivileged led her to institute skills development and business programmes that give instruction in 10 different modules, including sewing, hairdressing, ICT, shoemaking, plumbing, and soapmaking.
For social intervention, the MP of Ketu Spouth gave 200 pieces of street lights to the Ketu South Municipal Assembly, organised Christmas and New Year parties for children from tidal wave communities like Adina, Salakope, Agavedzi, and Blekusu, and donated relief items to victims of tidal waves in Amutinu, Salakope and Adina, with bags, food items, and bags of cement, among other things.
She also donated a variety of goods to the Providence Orphanage Home in Aflao-Semanukorpe among others!
Despite her experience as an actor, producer, and screenwriter, she shared a few reasons for choosing to run for MP, saying, “I think I have full endorsement from my delegates and people so I can run an election.”
In order to realise her goal of raising her constituents’ level of life, she asks her supporters to assist her in electing the NDC to power.
She expressed the hope that the legally mandated institutions will meet the standards necessary for free, fair, and transparent elections. When asked what she would think if her wishes were not fulfilled, she answered right away, “We will win convincingly through fair means.”
EDUCATION
Hon. Dzifa Gomashie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Ghana’s School of Performing Arts in 2003, and she went on to get a Master of Philosophy from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, from 2005 to 2008. She had previously studied Theatre Arts from 1994 to 1998 at the same university’s School of Performing Arts, where she received a Diploma in the field.
After completing her Ordinary Level in General Arts at St. Louis Secondary School in Kumasi in 1985, she went to Snapps College Ghana from 1992 to 1994. She obtained a Certificate of Education in General Arts at the Advanced Level there.
Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie is a widow with children. She feels that in order to sustain herself, her family, and others, she must work hard and do quality work since hard effort pays off.
Apart from her rigorous work schedule, she has always had a passion for dance since she ‘popped out of her mother’s womb.’
Although she claims that her electorate is quite large, she received 84,000 votes from voters when she ran for office the first time.
Regarding the question of whether the Affirmative Action Bill’s passage into law will give women hope, she responded that it is not a solution to every issue that affects women.
“We need to step up advocacy because it’s a never-ending cycle,” she continued.
By Georgina Quaittoo
He once sold kenkey to pay his school fees, and now wears the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. DCOP Kofi Sarpong, police officer and award winning gospel musician is charting a journey few could script.
In an interview with The Spectator chronicling his rise, the newly promoted DCOP took us on his journey through the ranks.
Early Life
“I was born in Berekum in the Bono Region, then Brong Ahafo, to Comfort Yeboah, affectionately called Maame Yaa, and the late Chief Inspector Kofi Sarpong,” he said.
His family story is one of resilience. His mother had two children before her husband died in an accident. She later married Kofi Sarpong’s father, a police officer, and had two more, himself and his junior brother. “So we are four, unfortunately one is deceased, just last year, so we are three now.”
School and struggle
He started at Berekum Methodist Primary under the old ‘Sito’ system. In Form Two, he moved to Obuasi to stay with a guardian for his Form Three education, then returned to Berekum for Form Four. He later attended Berekum Senior High School where he studied General Arts and shone as an athlete, a sprinter in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay.
After O-Levels, his batch was the last to write the exams, his dream was to become a teacher because of his love for children. But financial hardship forced a detour.
“I decided to help myself by going to buy maize and started preparing kenkey to sell at lorry parks and markets in Berekum,” he recalled.
According to him, the people from Berekum know this story. “I can make all types of kenkey, Fante Kenkey, Ga Komi and others. Don’t be surprised to see Kofi Sarpong Kenkey one day.” The proceeds paid his upkeep.
For this reason, he advised the youth “Don’t see life as a smooth journey but find something prudent to do to help yourself in difficult times.”
After grinding his education to a halt due to financial challenges, he now holds a Degree in Public Administration from GIMPA, a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy and Project Management, plus other higher certificates, with more in the offing.
The Police Call
When teaching did not materialise immediately, he moved to stay with his father at Osu, Accra. In 1994, he visited former IGP Nana Owusu-Nsia at Police Headquarters, who told about ongoing police enlistment.
In his head he declined, but outwardly he accepted to try reluctantly. Later, watching TV news and seeing long queues of young people aspiring to join the Police, he was inspired to reconsider.
He went to Berekum for his certificate. Accra enlistment had closed, so he joined the Kumasi exercise. He was selected, passed the exams and went to the Koforidua Police Training School, Galloway. After passing out, he was posted to the Logistics Unit at Police Headquarters.
At Headquarters, a senior officer encouraged young constables to further their education. He took a course in Purchasing and Supply via distance learning from a UK institution. 
Upon completion, the Police administration promoted him from Constable Class One to Chief Inspector, a leap that paved the way for him to enrol at the Police Academy. He graduated as ASP, and the climb to DCOP began.
“The officer corps starts from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) from the cadet,” he explained. “When you graduate from the Police Academy, you are awarded ASP, and you move to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), that’s when I released album to start my music career professionally.”
From there, he rose to Superintendent of Police (SP), Chief Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and now Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP). Next is Commissioner of Police (COP).
Music found him in Sudan
On peacekeeping duty in Sudan, officers from different nations came together to hold fellowship led by a Nigerian officer. In December that year, with top-ranked officers present, Kofi Sarpong led the service to the admiration of all.
On his return to Ghana, a Colonel, who was a Matron at 37 Military Hospital and a member of the 37 Methodist-Presbyterian Church invited him to their harvest service. He ministered, and as he stepped out of church, a man approached him with an offer to record him. He declined.
Days later, at the office, the man, Ernest Kwesi, who owned Media Excel Production sent an elderly man to pursue him. He still declined. This compelled Ernest Kwesi himself to visit him at the office. “He told me he had seen something in me.”
Just after Ernest Kwesi left,Kofi Sarpong wrote to then Director General/Welfare, Mohammed Alhassan, and Paul Tawiah Quaye the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the time. “He opened the letter and said he had been waiting all this while because he had seen me perform at police officers’ events.”
He was summoned to the IGP’s office, a call which scared him, however, it was a good news; his request was approved. Against this backdrop, he informed Ernest Kwesi who quickly visited that evening with highlife musician Akwaboah Jnr., who taught him his first song, ‘Me ko nso hw3 mu’, and they went to the studio.
A song earlier recorded in reggae by Zapp Mallet was totally transformed by Nacee, so they released both versions on the album. Nacee, he says, hugely supported promotion, as did Mark Okraku-Mantey.
He also acknowledge Oware Jnr. who also wrote songs for him.
After his maiden album’s success, police leadership congratulated him. He says he is happy to have inspired other officers to write to the Service to pursue other interests.
An autobiography, he reveals, is in the offing.
Family and food
He is married to Mrs Salomey Sarpong with three children, two boys and a girl: Nana Nketiah, Maame Afia Yeboah Sarpong and Papa Kwabena Aseda Sarpong.
His hobbies are watching athletics and being with family. His favourite foods are fufu and konkonte with groundnut soup.
On music, he teased a collaboration with a top Nigerian artiste, promising fans “hot praises” soon.
He concluded by thanking Ghanaians for their support since his promotion, and thanked the Inspector General of Police for his guidance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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WHEN some of her pupils failed to show up at school, Mary Adotei did not always assume they were absent. Sometimes, she went looking for them.
In the communities where she taught, getting a child into the classroom could require more than preparing lessons. Mrs Adotei remembers occasions when she had to visit the homes of pupils, bathe them, prepare them and bring them to school herself.
“There were times I had to go to the homes of some of the children, bathe them and bring them to school,” she recalled.
It is a memory that captures much of her journey over the years as a teacher, a profession she entered without knowing it would become central to her identity.
Now, after years of working with children and communities, Mrs Adotei is taking lessons from the classroom into a new arena.
She is contesting the position of Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa (AOB) Constituency in the Central Region, hoping to use her experience working with people to contribute to the welfare of women in the constituency.
But her story begins in the classroom.
After completing her basic and secondary education, Mrs Adotei spent 12 years working as a pupil teacher before she had the opportunity to receive professional training.
In 2006, she entered Fosu College of Education and completed her training in 2011 with a Diploma in Basic Education.
She returned to the classroom and has remained there since, teaching in different communities before moving to her current school, Catholic Boys Basic School in Breman Asikuma, in 2019.
The years have given her a front-row seat to the transformation education can bring.
Some of the children she once taught have grown into professionals, carrying the lessons they learnt in her classroom into hospitals, schools, offices and other workplaces.
Mrs Adotei said she had encountered former pupils who were now doctors, nurses, teachers and even a lawyer.
For a teacher, she said, such moments bring a special kind of satisfaction and reinforce the reason she remains passionate about education.
Her journey, however, has not been without difficult moments.
Teaching in local communities sometimes meant dealing with circumstances that went beyond academic work. Some pupils needed encouragement, personal attention and practical help before they could even settle down to learn.
Those experiences taught her that the challenges confronting people cannot always be solved from a distance. That understanding has followed her into her political activities.
Mrs Adotei has been involved in the NDC for years and previously served as a branch treasurer. She has also supported women in her branch, including assisting some to access medical treatment and providing help to families when the need arose.
She is now making her third attempt at becoming the constituency’s Women’s Organiser.
Her motivation is linked to what she has seen around her.
Mrs Adotei wants women in the constituency to have access to skills and opportunities that can help them become more economically independent.
She believes her years as a teacher have prepared her for the work, too, because the profession has taught her to listen, communicate, understand different circumstances and work patiently with people.
For her, the transition from teacher to political organiser is therefore not a complete departure from the path she has followed.
The classroom taught her to work with individuals. Politics, she hopes, will give her the opportunity to work with a wider group of women.
If elected, Mrs Adotei intends to continue teaching while taking up her political responsibilities. She said she would organise her time to attend meetings and constituency activities without abandoning her duties to her pupils.
Away from school and politics, she is a wife and mother of two sons who are pursuing their degrees at university.
Her message to young girls is shaped by everything she has seen education do for the children she has taught.
For Mrs Adotei, education remains one of the strongest tools available to young people, especially girls seeking to build better futures.
She wants them to stay in school, pursue further education and acquire skills that will prepare them for the future.
“Nowadays, you cannot go forward without education,” she said.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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