REGIONAL MINISTER
Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey
Hon Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey (Mrs), Eastern Regional Minister. A distinguished leader with a wealth of experience in Governance, Education and Community development. She holds an MPhil in Leadership from the University of Professional Studies, Accra ,BA Political Science-UG and has an impressive track record as a Local government practitioner, having served as an Assembly Member, and becoming the first female Presiding Member of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly. She has served as a Constituency Women’s Organizer of the NDC (Yilo Krobo). She is currently a Deputy Eastern Regional Women’s Organizer of the NDC. She is a seasoned educator and an advocate for women’s empowerment with a commitment to advancing local development and inclusive governance. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Migration at the University of Ghana. She is the Executive Director of Africa Women’s Forum, a Non Governmental Organisation. She is also Director of LARIT Schools, Somanya.
CHIEF DIRECTOR
Mr. Yaw Adu Asamoah
HEAD OF ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT
Stella Panwum, Chartered Professional Administrator and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants-Ghana. She possesses a Master of Arts degree in Peace and Development Studies from the University of Cape Coast. A Post-Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Public Administration (DPA and CPA) from GIMPA. She also obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Cape Coast.
She holds certificates in capacity building courses outside the country and courses organised by the Local Government Service as well as other institutions.
Stella Panwum, who has over 18 years working experience in the Public Service, is currently a Director of Administration and Head of the Administrative Unit at the Office of the Regional Coordinating Council.
She is a member of DANIDA Fellowship- Ghana.
HEAD OF FINANCE
Alexander Otopah is a highly distinguished practitioner-scholar in public-sector financial management with an impressive record of accomplishment.
An esteemed alumnus of renowned institutions including Okuapeman Senior High School, Accra Technical University, University of Cape Coast, Ghana Institute of Management Public Administration, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana, and SBS Swiss Business School in Zurich, Switzerland. Alex has built an exceptional academic foundation. He holds a Doctoral Degree in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Business Research, another Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Finance), and a first-class Bachelor of Commerce. As a Chartered Accountant, he also possesses a Higher National Diploma in Accounting and multiple Postgraduate Certificates in Contemporary Management, Public Financial Management, Business Innovation in Volatile Markets, and International Public Sector Accounting Standards.
Alex began his career at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) as an accountant, where his outstanding performance has propelled him to the role of Chief Accountant after over twenty four years of dedicated service. His extensive experience includes a significant secondment to the Local Government Service institutions as Head of Finance. In his early career years, he served as the project accountant for numerous high-profile donor-funded initiatives, including the World Bank Water and Sanitation Project, the Canadian District Wide Assistance Project, the World Bank Community-Based Rural Projects, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, among others.
An authority in public sector financial planning and budgeting, finance and accounting, auditing and assurance, Alex has held key positions as District Finance Officer for both the Bawku West and Birim South District Assemblies. He has also excelled as Deputy Regional Director of CAGD in the Upper East Region. Currently, he leads the finance team at the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, delivering vital financial and managerial support to public sector institutions and Donor partners such as the World Bank and the UNFPA. His exemplary leadership extends to chairing the audit committee of the Akwapim North Municipal Assembly as a representative of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).
In addition to his practical expertise, Alex is a passionate educator, teaching candidates at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and professional law candidates and providing invaluable technical support to doctoral and master’s degree candidates. He has made several presentations on public sector financial management and crosscutting local governance issues. He has three publications and several features to his credit.
Outside of his professional endeavor’s, Alex is an avid football fan and enjoys watching Ghanaian movies. He is a committed teacher, an effective team player, and a generous mentor who consistently drives results.
HEAD OF INTERNAL AUDIT
ANTHONY AMATEY HADJOR was born on 26th November 1972 at Odumase Krobo in the Eastern Region. He is a Chartered Accountant and a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA), a member of institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICA) 2021 and Institute of Internal Auditors, Ghana, (IIA) 2013. He holds certification of Forensic Fraud from Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana 2019. He also holds Executive Masters in Business Administration EMBA (Finance Banking) from Paris Graduate School of Management, 2010 and a Bachelor of Art degree from University of Ghana B.A. (Hons.) 1998.
He had his Secondary education at St Martin’s Senior High School at Nsawam Adoagyiri and Basic education at Roman Catholic Primary at Odumase Krobo
ANTHONY AMATEY HADJOR taught at Ghanata Senior High, Dodowa from the year 2000 to 2005. He moved to the Internal Audit Unit of Ghana Education Service at Shai Osodoku District from 2006 to April 2007. He joined the Local Government Service in May 2007 and worked in a number of Municipal and District Assemblies and a Regional Coordination Council.; Birim Central Municipal Assembly 2007 -2012, Akwapim South Municipal Assembly 2012-2014, Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly 2014-2018, Ga South Municipal Assembly 2018-2019, Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council 2019-2020 and currently with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council.
He served as a member of Audit Report Implementation Committee (ARIC) of four District Assemblies between 2014 -2016: Kwahu East District Assembly, Abetifi: Ada West District Assembly, Sege: North Tongu District Assembly, Battor,: Kwaebibirim District Assembly, Kade.
He has contributed significantly to management appreciation of internal controls and risk management in the various institutions he had and worked.
HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
PLN Michael Agyemang was born on 10th May, 1975 in Wamfie, Bono Region. He obtained his GCE Ordinary Level Certificate in Ghana Secondary School, Koforidua in the Eastern Region, and his GCE Advanced Level Certificate in Labone Secondary School, Accra in the Greater Region. Mr. Agyemang has a Master of Science Degree in Development Policy and Planning from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi and a Bachelor of Education in Population and Family Life from University of Cape Coast.
Mr. Agyemang is a Chief Development Planning Officer with vast experience in the area of development planning having worked in the Local Government Service for the past twenty-one years. He joined the Ghana Civil Service on December, 2002 as an Assistant Development Planning Officer and has risen through the ranks and has been appointed Chief Development Planning Officer in December, 2019 in the now Local Government Service.
Throughout his career in the Ghana Civil Service/ Local Government Service, he has worked as a Development Planning Officer in five (5) Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) He started as an Assistant Development Planning Officer at the then New Juaben Municipal Assembly (Koforidua) and as the Head of the Development Planning Unit at the then Atiwa District Assembly (Kwabeng), Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (Ashaiman), Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly (Nima) and then Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (Kumasi). He is currently working as the Regional Development Planning Officer at the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council.
Due to his professional competence and knowledge base in identifying alternative sources of funds for infrastructure provision, he has participated in many international conferences as guest panel speaker. Some of these conferences included:
- The 2nd Session of the United Nations (UN) Habitat Assembly held from 3rd to 5th June, 2023 at the UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya on the UNCDF Side Event under the them “Leveraging Sub-National Finance to Achieve a Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Future”;
- Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo 2022 held on 13th September in Bangkok, Thailand at the UNCDF Session under the theme “Local Transformative Finance is Development Finance: SDG Cities and Unlocking Sub-National Finance for Sustainable Development and Transformation in the Global South;
- The UNCDF Side Event of the Malaga High-Level Policy Dialogue Conference held from 5th to 6th October, 2023, Spain under the theme “Accelerating Progress towards Finance Ecosystem that works for Cities, Local and Regional Governments.
Mr. Agyemang also has interest in Decentralisation, Public Private Partnership (PPP), stakeholder mobilisation and community engagements.
HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Cyril Dzinyanu Xatse (CHRMP) currently serves as the Head of Human Resources of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (ERCC), Koforidua in Ghana’s Local Government Service where he handles Human Resource related issues at the ERCC, Regional Decentralized Departments and all Municipal/District Assemblies in the Eastern Region.
He is a Chartered Human Resource Management Practitioner and holds a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Cape Coast. He also holds a Certificate in Strategic Human Resource Management & Gender mainstreaming from the Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA), Professional Certificate in Health Security and Protection of Workers from the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida-India and a Certificate in Local Government Administration from the Institute of Local Government Studies, Accra.
He is a fully chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana (No. 1888) and an Associate fellow of the Boardroom Institute of the Graduate School of Governance & Leadership. He also holds a professional development certificate in Human Resource Management & Organizational Leadership from the International Organization for Capacity Building, London.
He is an old boy of Bishop Herman College and an alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
He previously served at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) as the Head of Human Resources for a decade until he joined the ERCC at the middle of August, 2023. His major accomplishment at the VRCC was his immeasurable contribution as the Coordinator of the Annual Performance Contract Assessment of the Local Government Service which has seen the VRCC emerged as the best Regional Coordinating Council in Ghana on three (3) successive occasions (2020, 2021 & 2022).
He was ably adjudged and awarded as the National Best Local Government Service Worker in 2019 during the National May Day Celebration in Accra.
He coordinates and conducts training for key officers in the Local Government Service in the Eastern Region which has over the years bridged their capacity gaps, improved their skills and competencies and by implication, led to the effective and efficient delivery of services and the promotion of a high performance culture in the Region. He can also be credited with the introduction of the capacity gap reduction strategy programme at the ERCC.
He is a team player and possesses excellent communication, event organizing, administrative, listening, leadership, conflict resolution, collaboration and interpersonal skills. He attended series of International conferences and seminars at local and international platforms.
His motivation for his current position is his passion for developing a professional base to aid development at the Local level.
HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
HEAD OF MIS