Muhammad Mumuni
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Mumuni is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
of Ghana
. He was a member of the parliament of Ghana
and a lawyer
by profession.
for his LL.B (Hons). In October 1975, he obtained a Barrister at law qualification from the Ghana School of Law
.
with the Judicial Service of Ghana between 1977 and 1980. In 1979, he served on the Local Government Grants Commission set up under the Third Republican constitution to allocate development resources to district and local councils in Ghana.
In 1980, he became founder and senior partner in the Yelinzo Law Chambers, a private law firm at Tamale
in the Northern Region of Ghana. He held this position till 1997. Between 1980 and 1982, he was the Chairman of the Western Dagomba District Council. During the era of the Provisional National Defence Council
government, he was a member of the Northern Regional Consultative Assembly. Mumuni was the President of the Ghana Bar Association
(Northern Region Branch) between 1992 and 1996. He was founder and chairman of Bonzali Rural Bank Limited between 1990 and 1995.
In the December 1996 parliamentary election
, he was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Kumbungu constituency
on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress
and retained his seat in the December 2000 parliamentary election
. He was thus MP for two terms spanning January 1997 to January 2001. He also served in the NDC government
of Jerry Rawlings
as the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare during the second term of his government, ending in January 2001.
Mumuni was the running mate of John Atta Mills in the 2004 Ghanaian presidential election
. In February 2009, he was appointed by President Mills as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, a position he continues to hold at present.
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Ghana government official who is responsible for overseeing the country's foreign policy and international diplomacy. The minister is usually one of the most senior members of Cabinet....
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He was a member of the parliament of Ghana
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
and a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by profession.
Early life and education
Muhammad Mumuni had his basic education at the Kumbungu Local Authority Primary School between 1955 and 1960. He then attended the Savelugu Local Authority Middle school from 1960-1962. His secondary education was at the Tamale Secondary School from 1962 to 1969. He proceeded to the University of GhanaUniversity of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
for his LL.B (Hons). In October 1975, he obtained a Barrister at law qualification from the Ghana School of Law
Ghana School of Law
The Ghana School of Law is an educational institution in Ghana for training lawyers.The school is only one that provides training for law graduates in the Barrister at Law program....
.
Career
Mumuni first worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana between 1972 and 1974. He then became the National Service Co-ordinator (North) of the National Service Scheme of Ghana between 1975 and 1976. He worked as a Legal Officer at the Bank for Housing and Construction for the period 1976 to 1980. He was also a District MagistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
with the Judicial Service of Ghana between 1977 and 1980. In 1979, he served on the Local Government Grants Commission set up under the Third Republican constitution to allocate development resources to district and local councils in Ghana.
In 1980, he became founder and senior partner in the Yelinzo Law Chambers, a private law firm at Tamale
Tamale, Ghana
Tamale with a population of 360,579 , is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana and the Tamale Metropolitan District with which it is coterminous Area. The city is located 600 km north of Accra...
in the Northern Region of Ghana. He held this position till 1997. Between 1980 and 1982, he was the Chairman of the Western Dagomba District Council. During the era of the Provisional National Defence Council
Provisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
government, he was a member of the Northern Regional Consultative Assembly. Mumuni was the President of the Ghana Bar Association
Ghana Bar Association
The Ghana Bar Association is a professional association of lawyers in Ghana, including what used to be called solicitors and barristers but are now called legal practitioners, as well as magistrates....
(Northern Region Branch) between 1992 and 1996. He was founder and chairman of Bonzali Rural Bank Limited between 1990 and 1995.
Politics
He was elected Assembly Member for the Yagrafong Electoral area in the Tolon–Kumbungu District Assembly and served for two terms as the presiding member of the assembly between 1992 and 1996.In the December 1996 parliamentary election
Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1996
The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 1996. Presidential elections were held on the same day. The result was a victory for the National Democratic Con, which won 133 of the 200 seats.-Results:-By region:-See also:...
, he was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Kumbungu constituency
Kumbungu (Ghana parliament constituency)
Kumbungu is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is located in the Northern Region of Ghana. he current member of Parliament for the constituency is Alhaji Yakubu K. Imoro...
on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress (Ghana)
The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
and retained his seat in the December 2000 parliamentary election
Ghanaian parliamentary election, 2000
The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 2000. Presidential elections were held on the same day with a second round on 28 December 2000. 62% of registered voters turned out for the elections...
. He was thus MP for two terms spanning January 1997 to January 2001. He also served in the NDC government
Rawlings government
This is a listing of the ministers who served in Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 1993, after 11 years of military rule by Rawlings...
of Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
as the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare during the second term of his government, ending in January 2001.
Mumuni was the running mate of John Atta Mills in the 2004 Ghanaian presidential election
Ghanaian presidential election, 2004
The Ghanaian presidential election was held in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa on 7 December 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on the same day.There were four candidates:*George Aggudey...
. In February 2009, he was appointed by President Mills as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, a position he continues to hold at present.