Gloria Akuffo
{{short description|Ghanaian lawyer and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Hon.
| name = Gloria Afua Akuffo
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| office = 24th Attorney General of Ghana and Minister for Justice
| term_start = 21 January 2017
| term_end = 6 January 2021
| president = Nana Akufo-Addo
| predecessor = Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong
| successor = Godfred Yeboah Dame
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|12|31|df=y}}
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| nationality = Ghanaian
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| alma_mater = University of Ghana
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| profession = Lawyer
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Gloria Akuffo (born 31 December 1954) is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Ghana and Minister for Justice from 2017 until 2021.{{Cite web |title=Miss Gloria Akuffo {{!}} University of Ghana Alumni Relations Office |url=https://ar.ug.edu.gh/miss-gloria-akuffo |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=University of Ghana}}{{Cite web |title=Gloria Akuffo, Biography |url=https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/person/Gloria-Akuffo-3376 |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=Mobile Ghanaweb.}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-07 |title=The word 'corruption' missing in Akufo-Addo's State of Nation Address |url=https://thefourthestategh.com/2021/05/07/the-word-corruption-missing-in-two-state-of-nation-addresses-first-time-in-13-years/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=The Fourth Estate |language=en-US}} She also served as Deputy Attorney General and Aviation Minister in the John Kuffuor administration.{{Cite web |title=Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine |url=https://www.glitzafrica.com/glitz-top-100-inspirational-women/100/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |language=en-US}}
Early life and education
She was born on 31 December 1954 in Accra and comes from Akropong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region and Shai Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region. Gloria Akuffo graduated in 1979 from the University of Ghana with a B.A. (Hons) in Law and Political Science. She became a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Ghana, enrolling at the Ghana Bar Association in 1982.
Career
She was a founding partner in a private legal firm, Owusu-Yeboa, Akuffo & Associates, in Accra.[http://www.africaleadership.net/fellows/ghana.htm Africa Leadership Initiative: List of Fellows] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415192650/http://www.africaleadership.net/fellows/ghana.htm |date=2010-04-15 }} She is Head of Litigation at Blay and Associates.{{Cite web |title=Miss Gloria Akuffo {{!}} University of Ghana Alumni Relations Office |url=https://ar.ug.edu.gh/miss-gloria-akuffo |access-date=2020-12-07 |website=University of Ghana}} She was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice by President Nana Akufo Addo upon his assumption of power in 2017.{{Cite web |last=Boateng |first=Kojo Akoto |date=2017-01-10 |title=Gloria Akuffo nominated as Attorney General |url=https://citifmonline.com/2017/01/gloria-akuffo-nominated-as-attorney-general/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always |language=en-US}} As Attorney General, Akufo represented Ghana in a maritime boundary dispute with Ivory Coast at International Tribunal for Law of the Sea(ITLOS). The case at the tribunal had travel for years and successive governments. Akufo and predecessor, Mariata Brew Appiah Oppong successfully defended Ghana's interest and in September 2017, the ITLOS ruled in favour of the Ghana, stating that Ghana had not violated the maritime boundaries in her oil exploration efforts.{{Cite web |last=Mizner |first=Andrew |title=Ghana retains offshore oil fields following arbitration ruling on Ivory Coast border |url=https://www.africanlawbusiness.com/news/7715-ghana-retains-offshore-oil-fields-following-arbitration-ruling-on-ivory-coast-border |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=ALB Legal and Business Issues from Africa |language=en}} According the court ruling, a ny new boundary was to pass the West of Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme oil and gas fields. The ruling saved Ghana some $49 billion.{{Cite news |title=ITLOS Judgement Saves Ghana $49bn |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/805592/itlos-judgement-saves-ghana-49bn.html}} In March 2023, Nana Akufo-Addo bestowed national honours on the team of lawyers including Gloria Akufo who secured a favourable decision for Ghana in the maritime border dispute with the Ivory Coast. Akufo's appointment as Attorney General and Minister of Justice was not renewed by Akufo-Addo after he secured a second-term mandate as president in 2020. She was replaced by her deputy, Godfred Yeboah Dame, in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Neat FM 100 9, neat FM |title=Godfred Dame Is A Great Choice As Attorney General - Foh-Amoaning |url=https://neatfm.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/202101/437661.php |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=neatfm.peacefmonline.com |language=en}}
Politics
She is a member of the New Patriotic Party. From 2001 to 2005, Akuffo was Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General, the first woman to hold these positions. From 2005 to 2006, Akuffo was Deputy Minister for the Greater Accra Region. Akuffo served as the first Minister of Aviation from 2006 till July 2008. She was appointed Ambassador to Ireland in July 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.blayandassociates.com/en/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-06-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021235848/http://www.blayandassociates.com/en/ |archivedate=2012-10-21 }} She was the lead counsel in the dispute involving the 2013 election petition case before the Supreme Court in Ghana.
2012 Election Petition
Gloria was a key member of the legal team of New Patriotic Party during the 2012 election petition with Philip Addison as the lead counsel.{{Cite news|url=http://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201305/163487.php|title=Gloria Akuffo: Tsatsu Was My Lecturer But He Is Not Showing Good Ethics In Court|last=Online|first=Peace FM|access-date=2017-01-10}}
References
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Category:University of Ghana alumni
Category:Alumni of Aburi Girls' Senior High School
Category:21st-century Ghanaian politicians
Category:21st-century Ghanaian women politicians
Category:Cabinet ministers of Ghana
Category:Politicians from Accra
Category:Politicians from Greater Accra Region
Category:Women government ministers of Ghana
Category:Attorneys general of Ghana
Category:New Patriotic Party politicians
Category:Female justice ministers