Sherry Ayitey

Hon. Sherry Ayittey
Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture Development
Incumbent
Assumed office 09 June 2014
President	John Dramani Mahama
Preceded by	Nayon Bilijo
Personal details
Nationality	Ghanaian
Political party	National Democratic Congress

Sherry Ayitey (born 1948) is a Ghanaian politician. Hon. (Ms) Hanny Sherry Ayittey is the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. She was the Minister for Health from February, 2013 – June, 2014. She was the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology from 2009 – 2012.

She graduated with Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Master of Science in industrial microbiology from the University Science and Technology, Kumasi. She is also a fellow of American universities of management, namely, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore and Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Ayitey involved in nongovernmental organization activities in Ghana.

In February, 2013 she attended a leadership programme at Harvard University,

She is also a fellow of the Institute of Directors, United Kingdom. She was once the Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology, and now a member of ECOWAS Board for Renewable Energy and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

31 December Women's Movement

She was involved with 31 December Women's Movement, a non governmental organization affiliated to the NDC, whose president is Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of Jerry Rawlings, former President of Ghana.^[1] She was the Projects and Programmes Officer of the organisation.^[2]

GREL trial

After the NDC lost the Ghanaian presidential election in December 2000, the New Patriotic Party came to power with John Kufuor forming his government. Various NDC activists stood trial for different reasons. Sherry Ayitey was put on trial with Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings in relation with the divestiture of the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited. Sherry Ayitey had been a member of the Divestiture Implementation Committee.^[2] Sherry Ayitey had decided to challenge the High Courts decision for Her to open Her defence. However, the Court of Appeal turned down Her request and asked that She opened Her defence in the High Court.^[3]

Giving evidence at the court under cross-examination, Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), and one of the three accused persons said during his tenure of office, Hanny Sherry Ayitey, treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement did not approach him to seek any favours on behalf of SIPH.^[4] Whilst standing trial in the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) divestiture case with two others, on Wednesday denied ever playing any role in the privatisation of the company. She told the court that as a co-opted member of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) she did not perform any function in respect of GREL's divestiture. Ayitey made these denials when she continued her evidence-in-chief at the Accra Fast Track Court hearing the case.^[5]

Sherry Ayitey told an Accra Fast Track Court that she never participated in any meeting of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) Board that discussed GREL's privatisation. Giving her evidence-in-chief, Hanny Sherry Ayitey, Treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), told the Court that at the 37th Regular Meeting of the DIC, which she attended, members did not discuss anything in respect of GREL's privatisation. Ayitey, who is standing trial on corruption charges in connection with the divestiture process, told the Court that between January 1998 and October 1998, She was invited by the then Executive Secretary of the DIC Board to three of the Board's meetings. She said in spite of those three invitations to the 37th and 38th Regular Meetings and an Emergency Meeting, She could honour only the invitation to the 37th Regular Meeting.^[6]

In the course of the trial, Mr Justice J. C. Amonoo-Monney, the trial judge, acquitted and discharged Mrs Ocran for lack of evidence. At the end of the trial on April 21, 2005, the Court ruled that the Prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts against Mrs Ayittey and Mr Agbodo, and, therefore, freed them.^[7]

Minister of state

After the 2008 presidential election, President John Atta Mills appointed her as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology in his government. In January 2013, She was appointed Minister for Health by President John Dramani Mahama.^[8] On June 9, 2014, Sherry Ayitey was reassigned by President Mahama to the Ministry of Fisheries & Aquaculture.^[9]

See also

• List of Mills government ministers
• National Democratic Congress

References

1. "Jerry John Rawlings angers at people he perceived as enemies". Retrieved 2010-07-24.
2. "The Sherry Ayittey GREL Trial ...". Ghana Home Page. 2005-04-01. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
3. "Sherry Ayitey Ordered to Open Defence". Retrieved 2004-04-01.
4. "Ayitey didn't contact me to seek favours for SIPH - Agbodo". Retrieved 2004-11-10.
5. "I didn't play any role in GREL's divestiture-Ayittey". Retrieved 2004-12-22.
6. "I didn't take part in any discussion on GREL's divestiture - Ayittey". Retrieved 2005-01-18.
7. "Appeal Court frees Casely-Hayford". Retrieved 2006-06-01.
8. "President Mahama Appoints More Ministers". Retrieved 2013-01-18.
9. "President Mahama Appoints New Ministers For Health, Lands & Natural Resources". Retrieved 2014-06-09.

External links and sources

• Sherry Ayitey on Ghana Government website