President appoints new Small Arms Executive Secretary
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appointed Mrs Afi Zarate Yakubu, as the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Mrs Yakubu, whose appointment took effect on April 28, replaced Mr Jones Borteye Applerh, immediate past Executive Secretary of the Commission.
Announcing the appointment, Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, Board Chairman of the Commission said: “The Commission looks forward to working with her as she provides the necessary leadership and overall management of its affairs.”
He said Mrs Yakubu would bring her vast experience within the security sector, expertise in peace building, armed conflict prevention and advocacy for reduction in illicit proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons to enhance the work of the Commission.
Ms Yakubu is the immediate past Executive Director of the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) and once the Secretary for the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA).
The new Executive Secretary is also said to have a proven track record in communication and advocacy for peace and security, especially conflict management, both locally and internationally.
She has a good understanding of grassroots conflict dynamics and security threats, gender mainstreaming, and excellent at maintaining partnerships and empowerment of women and the youth.
Mrs Yakubu is also said to be a proficient cross-cultural mobiliser, and has led several national and international advocacy campaigns and citizen engagement for policy and social change, including those by ECOWAS, AU and the United Nations.
Mrs Yakubu was once a Trainer of youth groups on Alternative Paths to Peace in the Niger Delta for the Women’s Centre for Peace and Development (WOPED) in Nigeria and a Trainer on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) in South Sudan for the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC).
She trained traditional rulers of the Northern Region on Small Arms and Conflicts in Northern Ghana for the Northern Regional House of Chiefs in 2007.
She once served as a Board Member of the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (from 2006 to 2008), and a Founding Member of the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA).
Mrs Yakubu holds an Executive Master of Arts (MA) degree in Organisation and Systems Development from the Gestalt Centre for Organisational Development, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
She holds another MA in Television for Development (Development Communication), University of Southampton, UK, and a Graduate Diploma in Communication Studies, University of Ghana.
Source: GNA