Emerita Prof Ardayfio-Schandorf Is First Female Chairperson Of PIAC

A representative of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), Emerita Professor Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf has been elected the first female chairperson of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).

Members of PIAC unanimously elected her on Tuesday October 25, 2023 as chair of the public oversight body with responsibility for the prudent management and use of petroleum revenues . 

She takes over from Professor Kwame Adom Frimpong and will serve a one-year term. 

Accepting her election, Emerita Professor Ardayfio-Schandorf expressed gratitude to the Members of the Committee for the confidence reposed in her.  

She urged members to collaborate and work as a team to help fulfil the mandate of PIAC, which is to ensure the efficient and prudent management and use of petroleum revenues.  

She also used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to the immediate past Members of the Committee for their role in fulfilling the mandate of PIAC. 

Emerita Professor Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf has a distinguished academic career and is a trail blazer in many fields. 

Her interests and engagements started in the early 1970s and have been nurtured over five decades through teaching, research, mentoring, consulting services and community outreach programmes.  

She is a Geographer, an Environmental Advisor and Expert in Rural Energy Systems and a Development Consultant.  

She also has passion for Family and Gender Research/Analysis, Women’s Empowerment and Advocacy.  

A representative of the National House of Chiefs, the Omanhene of the Breman Asikuma Traditional Area in the Central Region, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII has also been elected Vice Chairperson to serve a one-year term.  

Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII also doubles as the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs. 

Odeefuo who was enstooled Paramount chief in 2009, is a past student of St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi where he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering. 

He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Ghana Business School and a Diploma in Chieftaincy from the Otumfuo Centre for Traditional Leadership at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA). 

Odeefuo has a strong engineering and business management experience, and also has the ability to build shared vision and lead teams of professionals to new levels of success in a highly competitive environment.   

He has over 11 years of chieftaincy experience with proven delivery of unity, peace and progress in his traditional area. 

Other Members of the committee include Ms Sena Dake representing the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), Nana Kwaku Dei (Mr. Ransford Tetteh), representing the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Richard Ellimah, representing Civil Society (CSOs)/Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Mr Edward Yaw Afriyie representing the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI). 

The rest are Dr Noble Ibrahim Adjin Lartey, representing the Muslim Groups, Mr Constantine Kudzedzi, representing the Christian Groups, and Mr Christopher Opoku Nyarko, representing the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).  

Past presidents of PIAC includes;

Professor Kwame Adom-Frimpong (2021- 2023)

Mr Noble Wadzah (2020-2021)

Dr Steve Manteaw (2018-2019)

Mr Joseph Winful (2017-2018)

Prof. Paul Kingsley Buah-Bassuah (2015-2017)

Major Daniel Ablorh-Quarcoo (Rtd) (2011-2015)

The Public Interest and Accountability Committee was established under Section 51 of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRRMA), Act (PRMA) 2011 (Act 815), to among others, monitor and evaluate compliance with the Act. The Committee was inaugurated and commenced work on 15th September, 2011.

By: Christian Kpesese/eagleghana.com