Interior Minister appointment is no demotion – Bani

Former Chief of Staff Prosper Bani has dismissed suggestions that his appointment as Interior Minister is a demotion.

Mr Bani served as the first Chief of Staff to President John Mahama’s government between January 8, 2013, and February 4, 2015, before he was replaced by Julius Debrah.

Answering questions during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, Mr. Bani said he offered himself to serve the people of Ghana and is ready to serve in any sector that the President deems fit.

“I stand here as an individual offering myself to serve and my service of Chief of Staff for two years was part of serving and so if the President deems it necessary for me to serve in another capacity, I can’t say no.

“One should be able to serve anywhere…and that is why I am not taking this appointment as a demotion,” Mr. Bani said.

Mr. Bani, is a specialist in International Peace-Building and Development and has worked for over 15 years with the United Nations and has held various positions on both regional and international organizations across the world.

He led innovative processes in peace and development in Kosovo, Tajikistan, Senegal, Switzerland, South Africa and Afghanistan.

Other accomplishments include mobilizing donor supports for post-conflicts peacebuilding projects in Georgia, Croatia, Bosnia, Sierra- Leone, India, El-Salvador, Mozambique, Haiti and Fiji.

He is highly experienced in initiating and managing strategies for governance, building partnerships and facilitating complex relationships, especially in conflict resolution, development and management.