Dr. Samuel Sarpong was born at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region on 10th November 1957.
Until his untimely demise on August 6, 2025 when he was involved in the Military Helicopter crash at Sikaman in the Akrofuom district, Dr. Sarpong was the first National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The late Dr. Samuel Sarpong was appointed Board Chairman of the Cocoa Processing Company by President John Dramani Mahama on the morning of August 6, 2025, the same day he met his untimely death in the helicopter crash from Accra to Obuasi, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National chairman of the National Democratic Congress has disclosed.
According to Chairman Asiedu Nketia, he had informed Dr. Sarpong about his appointment letter being issued during their discussion on Tuesday, August 5, and that he was set to officially receive the letter on Wednesday, August 6.
His political background and consistent commitment in support in the building and restructuring of the political fortunes of the NDC goes beyond 1992.
As an administrator and civil servant with strong background in management of security related operations, public administration and governance, he had the ability to handle and profess on the spot workable solutions to delicate security matters.
He had vast experiences not only in politics but also in other strategic areas spanning from education, local governance, security, sports and organizational sustainability.
SCHOOLS ATTENDED
2005 – 2007 – Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration Executive Masters in Leadership and Governance (1992 -1996)
Sofia College, (BULGARIA) Diploma in Criminology (1978 – 1981)
Wesley Training College (KUMASI) Teachers Cert A
1973 – 1978
Osei Tutu Secondary School (KUMASI) Ordinary Level Certificate
QUALIFICATION/HONORARY DEGREES
- -. Doctor of Rural Development (Honorary)
- – Doctor of Philosophy (Honorary)
- -. Doctor of Public Administration (Honorary)
- -. Master Degree in Leadership in Governance
- -. Master Degree in Corporate Social Responsibility
- -. Masters degree: Executive Masters degree in Regional Development held Tel Aviv
2011(7th Dec) – Participant, Function Organization and Assessment Tool (FOAT) and Fiscal decentralization
1984 – Diploma in Criminology
1981 – Teachers Cert A
1978 – O’ Level
OFFICES OCCUPIED
Zonal Head of Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions 2009
Metropolitan Chief Executive (Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly) 2009 to 2013
Ashanti Regional Minister(25th Feb – 25th March 2013)
Centra Regional minister (25th March – 25th March 2014)
Ashanti Regional minister (2014 – 2015)
Managing Director of State Housing Corporation (2015 to 2017).
HONORARY DEGREES
2013 – Perish Terishtrofic Honorary International (SWEDEN) – Doctor of Rural Development. (Honorary)
2015 – University of Berkley, (CALIFORNIA) United States of America – Doctor of philosophy. (Honorary)
2016 – Commonwealth University (UNITED KINGDOM) – Doctor of Public Administration. (Honorary)
2016
Leadership and governance
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1981-1984 – Teaching at Juabeng Secondary School (Sports)
1985-1990 – Panel Member, Ashanti Regional Investigation Committee (ASHRI)
1990-1992 – Chairman, Ashanti Regional Investigation Committee (ASHRIC)
1992-1996 – Senior Staff, Serious Fraud Office, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions
1997-2008 – Zonal Head of Serious Fraud Office, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Region
1997-2001 – Security Co-ordinator, National Sports Council, Ashanti Region
2000 – Member and Chairman of Local Committee in charge of security, CAN 2000 Cup of Nations
2009- 2012 – Chief Executive, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly
2010-2012 – Dean of MMDCEs Ashanti Region
2013 – Regional Minister
2016 – NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Nhyiaeso
2015 – 2017 – Managing Director, State Housing Company
September 2020 – Honoured as Outstanding Politician by the Pan- African Heroes Foundation, seen as a unifier and Unmatched Ghanaian Politician who served as Mayor of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and a Regional Minister for both Ashanti and Central regions and the Managing Director of State Housing Company.
COURSES AND SEMINARS ATTENDED
1999 – A course in Employee Performance Appraisal in Accra
2000 (July) – Management and Development Seminar on Project Monitoring Evaluation and Sustainability at GIMPA
2001 – Special course on presentation skills by Crown Agent, UK at GIMPA
2008 – A four day ministerial course on Global Governance in South Africa
2009 (4th -6th Nov) – Participant, Vale International Conference on Sustainable Foreign Direct Investment, New York, USA
2009 (25th – 29th May) – Regional Local Governance Programme at GIMPA, Accra
2009 (8th – 12th June) – Participant, a five-day
orientation program for Chief executives of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly
2010 (28th Nov – 4th Dec). -. Participant and the presenter, Institute of Applied Science Conference on Circular Economy Rhineland – Palantinate 2010 held back in Birkenfield, Germany.
2010 (5th – 7th Dec). -. Participant, Rehotot Conference 2010, to discuss and develop innovative strategies and best practices towards Inclusive and Sustainable Local Commonwealth University (UNITED KINGDOM) Master’s Degree incorporate Social Responsibility
Achievements as Mayor of Kumasi
Kumasi witnessed an atmosphere of peace and security due to a well sustained and deliberate security measures pursued by the Assembly under his tenure as the mayor of Kumasi.
It was during his tenure that wood workers were successfully evacuated from Anloga to Sokoban Wood village in spite of the strong resistance posed by the wood workers at Anloga to move.
Expansion and modernization of Kumasi
To support the already rooted occupation of trading of the people of Kumasi the Assembly (KMA) under Dr. Sarpong’s leadership decided to expand, develop and modernize satellite markets in the metropolis resulting in the construction of about three big satellites markets at Ahensan, Asawase, and Kroforom.
The Kumasi Central market, which is one of the morden multipurpose marketing facilities in West Africa, was awarded on contract under my administration. It took several efforts and development oriented vision to search and identify a good track record company in faraway Brazil to undertake the construction of the Kumasi Central market which has the potential to turn around the economic fortunes of Kumasi and Ghana as a whole.
CONSTRUCTION OF KOTOBRABA MARKET
AND CAPE COAST SPORTS STADIUM
Notwithstanding the fact that Cape Coast Sports Stadium was a baby of the Central Government, the Central Regional Co-ordinating Council under Dr. Sarpong’s leadership as a Regional Minister played an effective supervisory role in the realization of the project. The same can be said about the Kotokraba market at Cape Coast. Apart from supervising the construction of other national projects at the central region, through his instrumentality, a unified front was built between the government and traditional leaders in the Central region leading to the construction of a Fish storage facility at Elmina including other similar projects in Central region.
GALAMSEY FIGHT
It was during his tenure as the Central Regional Minister that the fight against galamsey was taken to a higher height in Central Region leading to the reduction of galamsey activities to the barest minimum in the Central region.
CHIEFTAINCY TITLE
In appreciation of his efforts at development in the Central region the Chiefs and the Traditional Council in the Central region installed him as a chief and conferred OKOFO SARPONG KUMANKUMA as his stool name.
PERSONAL SKILLS AND STRENGTH
Dr. Sarpong is a Computer literate with the ability to manage website and undertake effective coordination of events and news items on social media.
An athlete with special knowledge in relay race, long and table tennis, Dr. Sarpong has the ability to read storm and predict results in security related matters.
The team player he was, Dr. Sarpong is Results Oriented and security conscious. He has the ability to contain and work under pressure to realize the needed results even under challenging conditions as well as the ability to anticipate, predict, analyze and react with precision to security situations before they degenerate into chaotic situations.
His Organizational ability to mobilize or organize human resources to help boost commitments level of workforce for the accomplishment of set goals coupled with his ability to learn, respect and accept divergent views from others was superb.
He is a Christian (Methodist), a pianist and is survived by a wife and five children.
Pix: Late Dr. Samuel Sarpong
