12 Things You Didn’t Know About Cecilia Dapaah

Former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has been in the news following an alleged theft involving two of her house helps.

The former minister is well-known for her significant role in the public sector; however, there are other aspects of her life that remains less familiar to the public.

In this piece, The Ghana Report explores the other side of the minister that is not well-known to the public.

1. She is a hotelier

Cecilia Abena Dapaah aside from being the former Sanitation minister, was well-known as a hotelier; she owns and manages hotels.

She reportedly has twenty- five years of experience in management and as a hotelier.

2. Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Processing Company 

Cecilia Dapaah served as the chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Processing Company between 2001 and 2006.

3. Gender and Human Rights activist

She is a Gender and Human Rights activist and has worked towards the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector which has contributed to Ghana’s great strides in achieving the SDG 6 goal.

4. Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Linguistics

Cecilia Dapaah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Linguistics certificate from the University of Ghana, and a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School in leadership.

She also holds a postgraduate certificate in International Development Studies from the University of Oslo in Norway and a postgraduate certificate in Leadership Development for Women in Management from the Atlanta Management Institute.

5. Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing

She was the Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works, and Housing under the erstwhile President Kufuor’s administration, from 2005 to 2006, and became Minister of State from 2007 to 2008.

6. Member of Parliament for Bantama

Member of Parliament for Bantama, in the Ashanti Region, she served on various committees such as Works and Housing; Advisory Committee to the Speaker; Employment, Social Welfare, and Youth; Foreign Affairs; and Special Budget.

7. Minister for Aviation

Cecilia Abena Dapaah was the Minister for Aviation from 2017 and served in that capacity till she was moved to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources in 2018. She resigned Saturday, July 22nd, 2023.

8. Chairperson of the Ghana Aids Commission

The embattled former minister held the position of the Executive Oversight and Chairperson of the Ghana Aids Commission between 2017 and 2021.

9. Interim Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection

She was an acting minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection from 2021-2022.

Whilst serving in the capacity of a Minister, she also served as the Chairperson of the Infrastructure Committee of Cabinet and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Volta Basin Authority.

10. Enormous contributions at workshops and conferences

Cecilia Dapaah has participated in several Conferences as their Guest Speaker notable among them are, World Bank Water Week, Sanitation and Water for All Ministers’ meeting, Budapest Water Week, UNESCO International Week, and World Water Week among others.

She was awarded as the “Incisive Public Servant” in 2019 by the Pan African Top Brands Eminence Awards. She also received the “Balafon Award of Excellence” for her exceptional role as an Aviation Minister in 2018.

11. She is also married with one child

She is married to Daniel Osei Kufour and they have a child.

12. She is a member of the Methodist Church

Cecilia Dapaah is a member of the Methodist Church of Ghana and is also known for her strong religious faith.

The Ghanaian politician affiliated with the New Patriotic Party has resigned from her office as the Sanitation Minister to make way for investigations into the issue and for justice to be served.