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MAMA DZIDOASI, A RISING QUEEN OF SUBSTANCE
At the tender age of 19, while studying Marketing at the then Institute of Professional Studies (now University of Professional Studies, Accra), Ms. Claudia Etornam Kudzi (as she then was) was enstooled Mama Dzidoasi I, Queen of Abansi-Asedukluvi in the Gbi Traditional Area of the Volta Region.
By that title, she is a Sub-Divisional Queen of Gbi Abansi.
The young and beautiful queen completed her course in 2010, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and later acquired a degree in law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) at Greenhill, near Accra.
Meanwhile, between studying marketing and law, Mama Dzidoasi was awarded a Diploma in Commonwealth Youth Programme by the University of Ghana, Legon, in 2008.
She is currently pursuing a Barrister-at-Law degree at the Ghana Law School, Makola, in Accra.
Born in Hohoe on November 29, 1986, Mama Dzidoasi, a product of Ho Mawuli School, is now serving her second term as Chairman of the Volta Region Lands Commission.
Even though she considers baking a hobby, she has managed to turn that pastime into a lucrative business and is now the owner of E Cakes Ghana, a baking company with a shop in Accra.
The elegant sub-divisional Gbi Abansi queen is a royal from both the paternal and maternal sides.
Her paternal grandfather, the late Mr. Felix Yao Kudzi was the first Asofoatse of Gbi-Abansi while her maternal great grandfather, Mr. Daniel Zikpi Anyigba was the first Asafoatse of Gbi Kpeme
Mama Dzidoasi is the mother to Golda Klenam Afua-Sampo Dogbatse, who was born in 2014.
The queen is admired and revered for her enormous developmental roles from the day she occupied the stool.
In 2007, for instance, she co-organized a seminar for chiefs and queens of Hohoe Municipal Area as part of the Ghana @50 Celebration.
She successfully solicited support from the Austrian Embassy in Accra, through the Volta Foundation, to build a six-unit environmentally-friendly latrine for the people of Abansi-Adzage Kofe.
Mama Dzidoasi again secured support from Tigo and the Ghana AIDS Commission, and through collaboration with the Ghana Education Service and her office, Dzidoasi Community Development Project, organised an AIDS Day quiz to mark World AIDS Day, for Junior High Schools in the Hohoe municipality in 2012.
In 2019, the queen was a member of the Gbidukorza (Gbi Festival) National Steering Committee and coordinated the Miss Gbi Beauty Contest.
It was all pomp and pageantry when the former board member of the St Theresa’s College of Education, Hohoe, launched the 15th-anniversary celebration at Hohoe on Sunday.
The grand event is slated for mid-2022.
In a chat with The Spectator, Mama Dzidoasi said that supporting communities with library and ICT projects would continue to be part of her prioritised ones.
She announced that GH¢15, 000 had already been raised as seed money for the area’s breast cancer fund project, and pledged to continue to support young women to acquire entrepreneurial skills to make them financially self-reliant.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HOHOE
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has held its Fourth Quarter Ministerial Advisory Board Meeting to review progress, discuss key policy matters, and strengthen collaboration towards achieving its strategic goals.
The meeting brought together members of the Advisory Board, which was set up under Section 39 of the Civil Service Act, 1993 (PNDCL 327), and the Civil Service (Ministerial Advisory Board) Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1961).
The Board serves as a platform for continuous engagement between the Ministry and its stakeholders.
Its role is to advise the sector Minister on policy planning and implementation, while ensuring that programmes on gender, social protection, and child welfare align with national priorities and government development goals.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, commended the Board for its consistent support and technical guidance in advancing the Ministry’s mandate.
She noted that the Ministry’s work in promoting gender equality, protecting the vulnerable, and ensuring the welfare of children and families depends on strong policies and effective partnerships.
Dr. Lartey stressed that the Advisory Board plays an important role in helping the Ministry deliver its mission in a sustainable and impactful way.
A major highlight of the meeting was a presentation on the Ministry’s achievements so far this year, followed by discussions on future policy direction and strategic focus areas.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been unanimously elected as the Chairperson of the Africa Geopolitical Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The election took place on October 19, 2025, during the ongoing 151st IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. His victory places Ghana at the center of continental and global parliamentary diplomacy.
With this new role, Speaker Bagbin will coordinate and harmonize Africa’s collective positions on major IPU decisions and policies.
He will also serve as the continent’s chief representative on key issues such as governance, peace, security, and sustainable development.
Speaker Bagbin currently serves as the President of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (COSPAL) and is the immediate past Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) International.
In his remarks after the election, he thanked African delegations for their confidence and unity, particularly commending Nigeria for seconding his nomination and Senegal for withdrawing its candidate in the spirit of cooperation.
He pledged to strengthen collaboration among African parliaments and promote transparency, democratic governance, and sustainable development through stronger legislative institutions.
He succeeds Ms. Angela Thokozile Didiza, Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly, who served with distinction.
The Africa Geopolitical Group, formed in the early 1950s, serves as a continental branch of the IPU, ensuring fair representation of African countries in the Union’s committees and decision-making bodies.
It also coordinates Africa’s common positions on major parliamentary issues discussed at IPU assemblies.
By: Jacob Aggrey
