Ghana Armed Forces

In June this year, a change in mid-stream of the government saw a number of ministers with presidential ambitions resigning from office to contest the flagbearership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Honourable Albert Kan-Dapaah assumed duty as Minister for Defence on 27 July 2007 to replace Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor.

The Minister, who is also a Member of Parliament for  Afigya Sekyere West Constituency in the Ashanti Region, was born on 14 March 1954. He attended Acherensua Secondary School and proceeded to the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) to study accountancy.

He then enrolled at the North East London Polytechnic and continued to the Emile Woolf College of Accountancy, London where he qualified as a certified chartered accountant in 1978.

He is also a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (UK) and a member of the Ghana Institute of Chartered Accountants.

He has since held several positions in both private firms and public institutions. Between 1978 and 1986, he worked with Panell Kerr Forster, a chartered accounting firm, in its offices in Accra, Monrovia and London. He was also a partner of the firm in charge of operations in Liberia at the time he resigned from the firm in 1986.

Hon Kan-Dapaah also had a brief stint with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as the Head of Audit, joined the Electricity Company of Ghana as Director of Audit in September 1987 and rose to be Director of Finance, a position he occupied for six years. He has also served as part time lecturer in auditing at the School of Administration,  University of Ghana Legon, as well as the Vice President of the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa.

Hon Kan-Dapaah was the Ashanti Regional Representative on the National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and member of the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee of the party from 1992-1996. He has also been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Sekyere West Constituency since 1997.

He has served as Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Communication. Prior to his appointment as the Minister for Defence, he was the Minister of the Interior. Hon Kan-Dapaah's term of office as Minister for Defence ended on 6 January 2009.

Hon Kan-Dapaah is married to Madam Rebecca and they have four children.