Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is perhaps Africa’s youngest Deputy Minister. Appointed at the age of 28, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa served as Deputy Minister of Information in the Republic of Ghana. He is married to Nuhela Seidu and they have a daughter.
He has a reputation for being a passionate youth and political activist. He loves to associate with the cause of the masses seeing that as his natural constituency.
He was a member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) a pro-masses pressure group, an author and a prolific writer.
He was also a member of the team that drafted his party’s youth policies in the NDC’s manifesto for the 2008 campaign.
Before all these, he had served as President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 2005 to 2006.
In his foray in national politics, he was a member of the then candidate John Evans Atta Mills Campaign Communication Team and until his appointment as Deputy Minister for Information served on Government’s Transition Team.
Hon. Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa in 2012 contested and won in the parliamentary elections to represent the North Tongu Constituency in Parliament
He has been guest speaker at many local and international events where he advocates on the need for humanity to eliminate all forms of injustice and sincerely commit to a fair and just society.
Some programmes and seminars he has participated in are:
• Washington DC and Chicago – October, 2009
American Council for Young Political Leaders
• Copenhagen, Denmark – April, 2008
Copenhagen Consensus Youth Summit
• Accra, Ghana – August, 2007
Coalition for the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill
• Dimona, Israel – June, 2007
On invitation by the African Hebrew Israelites to study an amazing Regenerative Health model.
• Tripoli, Libya – June, 2007
Member of the Activists African Meeting for a Federal State of Africa as a precursor to the 9th Summit of the African Union.
• Tripoli, Libya – November, 2006
Conference on African and Arabic CSOs on the United States of Africa project.
• Legon, Ghana – January, 2006
Annual New Year School
• Johannesburg, South Africa – July, 2006
Head of Ghana’s delegation- All Africa Students Union (AASU) Executive Committee Meeting and Special Awards Session.
His earlier commitments have included:
2007 to April, 2009 – Managing Director, Savvi Solutions
2009 – Acting Secretary, NDC Transition Team
2009 – Secretary, NDC Transitional Task Force on Sanitation and Waste Management
2008 – Member, NDC Communications Team for 2008 Campaign
2008 – Member, NDC Manifesto Working Group on Youth and Sports
2008 – Supervisor, NDC Ballot Paper Printing Monitoring Team
2006 – 2009 – Member, Committee for Joint Action (CJA)
2008-2009 – Member, Free Tsatsu Tsikata Campaign
November 2006 to August 2007 – National Service: Office Of Parliament, Research Unit
January, 2006 – Reviewer of the 2005 United Nations World Youth Report at the UN Ghana Office.
August 2002 – September 2003: Campus Manager, Carrera Computers Internet Café (University of Ghana)
March 2000 to July 2002: Public Relations Officer, Cosmopolitan Computer Services (CCS)
August 1998 – August 1999: Trustee, Greater Accra Regional Students’ Representative Council
December 2004 -February 2005 – Consultant, KNUST SRC 10-Year Strategic Plan
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa has received numerous awards including the TNG Corporate Excellence Awards – Accra, 2010, Outstanding Youth Leader in West Africa by the West Africa Students’ Union (WASU) – Kaduna, Nigeria 2009, Special Alumnus Award by the National Union of Ghana Students’ (NUGS) – 2009, Old Vandal Award – 2008, Award of recognition by the Volta Hall JCR of the University of Ghana – 2005 and a special Fellow of the Private University Students Association of Ghana (PUSAG).
He is an Accredited Member (APR)of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR),Ghana.
He has also been honoured by the Mepe Traditional Council and the Tepa Traditional Council where he is known as the “Mmrantiehene.”
He is a Project Management Practitioner (PRINCE2), an associate member of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana and an alumnus of the American Council for Young Political Leaders.
He is an old boy of Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon and the University of Ghana. He remains a proud Vandal.