Henry Siedu Daanaa (born 1955) is a lawyer and the former
Minister for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs of
Ghana.
He was the first
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
person to be approved as a Minister of State in Ghana.
He was nominated for the position by President
John Dramani Mahama in January 2013.
Early life
Henry Siedu Daanaa was born in 1955 in
Tuasa Tuasa is a village in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
Famous sons
*Henry Seidu Daanaa - Ghana's first trained blind lawyer and Minister for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs.
References
Upper West Region
{{UpperWestRegion-geo-stub ...
in the
Upper West Region
The Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the north-western corner of Ghana and is bordered by Upper East region to the east, Northern region to the south, and Burkina Faso to the west and north. The Upper West regional capital and largest set ...
of Ghana. He is one of 13 children born to his parents.
Daanaa enrolled into the Law Faculty of the
University of Ghana in 1979 and completed his undergraduate coursework in 1981. He then went to the
London School of Economics and Political Science to get his master's degree in law. From 1986 to 1992, he completed his Doctorate and Degree programmes in Law from the same university.
Career
The Board of Legal Education approved Daanaa's admission to the
Ghana School of Law for a two-year professional law course.
His education was through the use of
Braille equipment which he provided. He successfully completed the course and was called to the
Ghana Bar, becoming the first blind lawyer in the country.
He worked in with the Regional House of Chiefs in almost all the ten
Regions of Ghana and rose to become the National Director of Research at the Ministry of Culture and Chieftaincy.
Daanaa was a board member of trustees of the
Ghana Society for the Blind from 1995 to 1999.
He worked with the Ministry for more than 19 years and served in various capacities, including being the chief research fellow for the ministry.
Daanaa was approved as a minister by the
Parliament of Ghana along with ten others on 13 February 2013.
Upon his confirmation as the sector minister,
Yaw Ofori Debrah, president of the
Ghana Federation of the Disabled hailed his appointment as a recognition of the talents of physically impaired persons.
He was succeeded as minister by
Kofi Dzamesi
Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi (born 1959) is a Ghanaian politician who is chief executive of the Bui Power Authority since August 2021. A member of the New Patriotic Party, he was Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in Ghana from 2017 ...
.
Awards
In 1995, during the calling of new lawyers to the Ghana Bar, the then
Chief Justice of Ghana
The Chief Justice of Ghana is the highest-ranking judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The chief justice is also the head of the Judiciary of Ghana and is responsible for its administration and supervision. In order of state precedence, the chief ...
and chairman of the General Legal Council,
Justice Isaac Kobina Abban awarded Daanaa with a braille citation in recognition of his excellent and distinctive academic performances during his tutelage.
See also
*
List of Mahama government ministers
This is a listing of the ministers who serve in the National Democratic Congress government of John Dramani Mahama in Ghana originally formed on 24 July 2012 following the death of John Atta Mills, and sworn in from January 2013. The governmen ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daanaa, Henry Siedu
1955 births
Government ministers of Ghana
National Democratic Congress (Ghana) politicians
20th-century Ghanaian lawyers
Living people
Upper West Region
Blind academics
Blind politicians
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Ghana School of Law alumni
University of Ghana alumni
Ghanaian people with disabilities
Ghanaian disability rights activists