Mahama Ayariga

Hon Mahama Ayariga
Member of the Ghana Parliament for Bawku Central
Incumbent
Assumed office Jan 2013
Preceded by	Adamu Daramani
Majority	4,989
Personal details
Born	24 May 1974 Bawku, Ghana
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	National Democratic Congress
Relations	Frank Abdulai Ayariga Hassan Ayariga
Alma mater	University of Ghana Harvard Law School
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Islam

Mahama Ayariga (born 24 May 1974) is a lawyer and politician in Ghana. He belongs to the National Democratic Congress. He was the Minister of Information and Media Relations and currently the Minister of Youth and Sports under the John Dramani Mahama administration.

Early life and education

Ayariga was born in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He was educated in Ghana and Nigeria and the United States of America. He attended the Barewa College in Zaira in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He holds a Master of Law (LLM) degree from the Harvard Law School in the United States of America and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) Degree from University of Ghana, Legon.

He started his career as a Teaching Assistant in Natural Resources Law and International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana. He also co-founded and was the Executive Director of the Legal Resources Centre, and organization to promote human rights, community development and social justice.^[1]

Ayariga's older brother Ayariga Hassan was the presidential candidate of the People's National Convention (Ghana) for the 2012 General Elections in Ghana.,^[2]

Political career

Ayariga was the member of Ghana's parliament for the Bawku Central constituency from 2005 but lost his seat in the 2008 Elections to Adamu Dramani Sakande of the NPP. The seat became vacant when Adamu was convicted and jailed by a court for having stood for the election while being the citizen of another country which is against the Ghana constitution.^[3] Ayariga recaptured the seat in the 2012 General Elections.^[4]

In 2009 when Prof John Evans Atta Mills won the elections, Ayariga became the Presidential Spokesman before he was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Education.^[5]

Mahama Ayariga was nominated for appointment as Minister for Information by President John Dramani Mahama in January 2013.^[6]

See also

• Frank Abdulai Ayariga
• Hassan Ayariga

References

1. "Education Stakeholders Meeting Speaker Biographies". IDP Foundation.
2. Naatogmah, Abdul Karim (2011-04-19). "PNC Presidential Aspirant Jabs Dr. Edward Mahama". CitiFM Online.
3. "Bawku Central MP Adamu Sakande convicted; jailed two years". InfoGhana. 2012-07-27.
4. "Ayariga wins Bawku Central Constituency". TV3 Ghana.
5. "President Mills reshuffles Deputy Ministers, appoints new DCEs". Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. 2011-02-16.
6. "President Mahama appoints first batch of Ministers". Pravda Radio. 2013-01-11.