Aaron Mike Oquaye (born 4 April 1944) is a

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian barrister and politician who served as the sixth

Speaker of Parliament The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

of the Fourth Republic of Ghana from 2017 to 2021. An academic, diplomat and Baptist minister, he previously held the cabinet ministerial portfolios for energy and communication and was also the High Commissioner of Ghana to India (2002–04) in the Kufuor administration.

Early life

Michael Aaron Oquaye was born on 4 April 1944 in

Osu, Accra Located about east of the central business district, Osu is a neighborhood in central Accra, Ghana. It is locally known as the "West End" of Accra. Bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Osu's western boundary is the Independence Aven ...

, Ghana (then Gold Coast), to E. G. N Oquaye of Osu and Felicia Awusika Abla Oquaye (née Azu) of

Odumase-Krobo Krobo Odumase is a town and capital of Lower Manya Krobo Municipal District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School was formerly located here. Prominent sites The town is a proposed site for the construction of ...

. He was brought up at

Asamankese Asamankese is a town in south Ghana and is the capital of West Akim Municipal District, a district in the Eastern Region of south Ghana. Asamankese has a 2013 settlement population of approximately 39,435 people. Asamankese is on the main ...

in the country's Eastern Region, where he attended the Roman Catholic Primary School and Presbyterian Middle School before proceeding to Presbyterian Boys' Secondary (PRESEC), at

and then

Apam Senior High School Apam Senior High School is a co-educational senior high school at Apam in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region of Ghana founded in 1953. History Apam Senior High School, in the Zone B District of the Central region of Ghana, was establ ...

. Oquaye's father, E. G. N. Oquaye, had been a founding member of the

United Gold Coast Convention The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was a political party founded in 1947 whose aim was to bring about Ghanaian independence from their British colonial masters after the Second World War. The United Gold Coast Convention appointed its leade ...

(UGCC) at

. He was also

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

and principal financier of the UGCC, Gold Coast Party (GCP), National Liberation Movement (NLM) and United Party (UP) at Asamankese. When Oquaye was a child, his

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

received political figures and dignitaries such as Dr.

J. B. Danquah Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah (18 December 1895 – 4 February 1965) was a Ghanaian politician, scholar, lawyer, and one of the founding fathers of Ghana. He played a significant role in pre- and post-colonial Ghana, which was former ...

and Prof.

Kofi Abrefa Busia Kofi Abrefa Busia (born 11 July 1913 – 28 August 1978) was a Ghanaian political leader and academic who was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. As a nationalist leader and prime minister, he helped to restore civilian government to the ...

as guests at their home.

Okyenhene Okyenhene is the title of the Tribal King of Akyem Abuakwa Akyem Abuakwa is one of the four states of Akyem in 14th century Africa. Currently, it is part of Ghana. Historically, the Akyem were part of the Adansi Kingdom, which was the first nat ...

Nana Ofori Atta II, while in exile in Accra, was also a regular visitor to the Oquaye family home in Asamankese.

Education and legal career

Oquaye attended the Presbyterian Boys' Senior Secondary School, where he gained his GCE "O"-Level Certificate, and then Apam Secondary School for his "A" Level Certificates. He entered the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

and later the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He holds B.A. (Hons.) Political Science, L.L.B. (Hons.), B.L. and PhD. He is a qualified solicitor and barrister, as well as the founder and senior partner of his own law firm. He is a barrister of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, a senior member of the

Ghana Bar Association The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) 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. By convention all lawyers admitted to pr ...

, and a solicitor for some leading companies and financial institutions.

Academic career

Oquaye is a professor of

Political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

at the

, (Legon), and was previously the Head of the Department of Political Science and member of the university's Academic Board, the highest authority at the level of the faculties. He received his

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

from the

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...

, as well as winning the Rockefeller Senior Scholar Award in 1993 and the Senior

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

Award in 1997. He has been a visiting lecturer at

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. From 1997 to 1999, he was vice-president of the African Association of Political Science (AAPS), based in Zimbabwe.

Writings and advocacy

As a writer, Oquaye has researched and published writings extensively on good governance, conflicts, political education, decentralization and development, human rights, military intervention in politics,

NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

, rural development and gender issues. He advocates women's rights, including affirmative action. He is the author of the award-winning book ''Politics in Ghana, 1972–1979'', in which he depicts, inter-alia, the military as the bane of Government and Politics in Africa and recounted instances of human right abuses, conflictual politics, economic mismanagement and national decadence. He wrote a second volume, ''Politics in Ghana, 1982–1992'', dealing with the politics of revolution, CDRs, Public Tribunals, popular power, positive defiance and human rights issues of the period. His scholarly articles have been published in international journals such as the ''

Human Rights Quarterly ''Human Rights Quarterly'' (''HRQ'') is a quarterly academic journal founded by Richard Pierre Claude in 1982 covering human rights. The journal is intended for scholars and policymakers and follows recent developments from both governments and non ...

'' (US), ''Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics'' (UK), ''

African Affairs ''African Affairs'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society. The journal covers any Africa-related topic: political, social, economic, environmental ...

'' (UK), and ''Review of Human Factor Studies'' (Canada).

Political career

As a student at the

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

of Ghana, Oquaye joined the campaign for the

cause. Oquaye strongly supported Busia's call for quick return to civilian rule to prevent the militarization of the state and, along with his family, helped to establish the Progress Party in Osu in 1969.

New Patriotic Party

The United Party-Progress Party tradition led to the foundation, in 1992, of the

New Patriotic Party , logo = , colorcode = #132f7a , founder = , founded = 28 July 1992 , dissolved = , leader = Nana Akufo-Addo , chairman = Stephen Ayensu Ntim Stephen Ntim elected NPP National Chairman on fifth attempt http://www.gna.org.gh/1.2152672 ...

(NPP), with Oquaye as a founder member. He was the first Regional Secretary of NPP for

Greater Accra The Greater Accra Region has the smallest area of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres. This is 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. It is the second most populated region, befor ...

in 1992, and also the first Chairman of the Party for the

Ga District Ga District is a former district that was located in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988. However in 2004, it was split off into two new districts: Ga West District (which it was elevated to mun ...

Rural Constituency, which later split into

Ga West District Ga West Municipal District is one of the twenty-nine districts in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Ga District in 1988, until the eastern part of the district was split off to create Ga East District ...

and

Ga East District Ga East Municipal District is one of the twenty-nine districts in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Ga District in 1988, until the eastern part of the district was split off to create Ga East District ...

. He was the secretary of the Research Committee and a member of the first National Campaign Team of the NPP in the third quarter of 1992. He worked with other central NPP figures, including President

John Kufuor John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was also Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008. Kufuor's career has been sp ...

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 7 January 2017. In 2020, he was re-elected for his second term, which will end on 6 January 2025. Akufo-Addo previously ...

R. R. Amponsah Reginald Reynolds Amponsah (30 December 1919 – 3 June 2009) was a pottery, potter and Ghanaian politician of the first Parliament of the Second Republic representing the Mampong North Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He was a Minis ...

, Prof. Adu-Boahen,

Peter Ala Adjetey Peter Ala Adjetey (11 August 1931 – 15 July 2008) was the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana from 2001 to 2005. Early life Peter Ala Adjetey was born on 11 August 1931 at Accra, the capital of Ghana. He obtained his basic education at St. P ...

, B. J. da Rocha and

Samuel Odoi-Sykes Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada from 2001 to 2006 and Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1972. He was National Chairman of the ...

, to campaign successfully for the NPP victory in the 2000 general elections. Oquaye's role in the party's success, which involved journalistic contributions and involvement in other activities of the party between 1993 and 2000, is considered significant.

High Commissioner and Minister of state

From 2001 to 2004, Oquaye served as Ghana's High Commissioner to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In February 2005, he became Minister of Energy, and later he was moved to the post of Minister of Communications.

Member of Parliament

Oquaye was the NPP Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya for two terms, from 2004 to 2012. He decided not to stand for another term. He sponsored his son, Mike Oquaye Jnr, to fight to be the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency. His son however lost to

Sarah Adwoa Safo Sarah Adwoa Safo (born 28 December 1981) is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. She is the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (2013–2020) for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. She was the Minister for G ...

, who went on to win the seat. From 2009 to 2013, Oquaye was the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament. He was succeeded by

Joe Ghartey Joe Ghartey (born 15 June 1961, in Accra) is a Ghanaian lawyer, academic and politician. He is a former Attorney-General of Ghana (2006–2009), Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament (2013–2017) and Railways and Development Minister (2017–2 ...

in 2013.

Speaker of Parliament

Oquaye served as the Speaker of Parliament in the seventh parliament of the Fourth Republic. In 2021, he was nominated by the

for the role as a Speaker of Parliament in which he lost to Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin on 7 January who was nominated by the National Democratic Congress. Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin announced at the first sitting of parliament that he was elected by 138 votes while Mike Oquaye garnered 136 votes.

Personal life

Oquaye is a pastor of the

Baptist Church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

. He is married to Alberta Oquaye (''née'' Asafu-Adjaye) (Major Rtd.) a professional nurse. He is the father of Mike Oquaye Jnr, Ghana's current High Commissioner to India. Oquaye's hobbies include watching football, playing table tennis, reading books, writing, and listening to music.

Bibliography

Written works

* ''Politics in Ghana, 1982–1992'' (Tornado Publications, 1980, ) * ''Democracy, Politics and Conflict Resolution in Contemporary Ghana'' (Gold-Type Publication, 1995)

Controversies

In February 2020, there were media agitation to reports that the speaker of Parliament, Aaron Mike Oquaye has threatened to ban journalist who take coverage of other events in the premises of Parliament other than the chamber. In August 2020, he gave a public lecture in the observance of Founders' Day, in which he claimed that "Independence was not a one man show, it was a collective effort". According to Oquaye, former president

Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...

should not be honoured alone but together with all the founding fathers of Ghana. Oquaye also claimed Nkrumah was not alone in the struggle for independence although he fought for Ghana's independence. Nkrumah's son Sekou Nkrumah lambasted Prof. Oquaye for those comments, saying that if the speaker of parliament wanted to criticize his late father, he should talk about the one-party system and the Preventive Detectionn Act (PDA) introduced during Nkrumah's time.

References

Sources

"Prof. Mike Oquaye"
Official biography from the Republic of Ghana website {{DEFAULTSORT:Oquaye, Aaron Mike 1944 births Living people 20th-century Ghanaian lawyers Alumni of SOAS University of London Communications ministers of Ghana Energy ministers of Ghana Environment ministers of Ghana Ga-Adangbe people Ghanaian MPs 2005–2009 Ghanaian MPs 2009–2013 Ghanaian Protestants High Commissioners of Ghana to India High Commissioners of Ghana to the Maldives New Patriotic Party politicians People from Accra Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School alumni Speakers of the Parliament of Ghana University of Ghana alumni Academic staff of the University of Ghana