Julius Debrah

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}{{Infobox officeholder

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| profession = Politician and Social Developer

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| alma_mater = Achimota Secondary School, University of Ghana

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| term_end5 = March 2014

| successor5 = Joshua Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo

| predecessor6 = Victor Emmanuel Smith

| predecessor5 = Joshua Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo

| term_end6 = March 2013

| term_start6 = February 2013

| office6 = Eastern Regional Minister

| term_start5 = March 2013

| office5 = Greater Accra Regional

| president = John Dramani Mahama

| office = Chief of Staff

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| name = Julius Debrah

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| term_end3 = February 2015

| term_start3 = June 2014

| office3 = Minister of Local Government and Rural Development

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| predecessor = Frema Opare

| term_start = 7 January 2025

| predecessor3 = Akwasi Oppong Fosu

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| office2 = Office of Chief of Staff

| term_start2 = February 2015

| term_end2 = January 2017

| successor2 = Frema Opare

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| image = Julius Debrah with MWF (cropped).jpg

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| president2 = John Dramani Mahama

| successor3 = Collins Dauda

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| party = NDC

| nationality = Ghanaian

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| birth_place = Ghana

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|04|24|df=y}}

| successor4 = Antwi Boasiako Sekyere

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| term_end4 = May 2014

| term_start4 = March 2014

| office4 = Eastern Regional Minister

| successor6 = Helen Ntoso

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Julius Debrah (born 24 April 1966){{Cite web|title=Chief Of Staff Julius Debrah Is 50 Today|url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/687986/chief-of-staff-julius-debrah-is-50-today.html|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Modern Ghana|language=en}} is a Ghanaian politician and chief of staff{{Cite web|title=New team at Flagstaff House|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/new-team-at-flagstaff-house.html|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}} to the president of Ghana John Dramani Mahama.{{Cite web|title=Prez Mahama removes Bani, appoints Debrah as Chief of Staff|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/prez-mahama-removes-bani-appoints-debrah-as-chief-of-staff.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}} He is a member of the National Democratic Congress. He is the current Chief of Staff of the Republic of Ghana. In February 2015, he was appointed chief of staff after the former, Prosper Douglas Bani was removed from office and assigned to as Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary.{{Cite web|date=2015-02-16|title=Mahama fires Prosper Bani, appoints Julius Debrah as Chief of Staff|url=https://citifmonline.com/2015/02/mahama-fires-prosper-bani-appoints-julius-debrah-as-chief-of-staff/|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Amponsah |first=Charles |title=President Mahama Names Julius Debrah As Chief Of Staff |url=https://gbcghana.com/1.1997195 |access-date=2020-12-03 |website=Gbc Ghana. |language=en |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128004259/https://www.gbcghana.com/1.1997195 |url-status=dead }} Debrah previously held the positions of Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Regional Minister for Eastern Region.

Education

Debrah studied at Mpraeso Secondary School then moved to Achimota Secondary School for A Levels from 1987 to 1989. Following this, he gained admission to the University of Ghana where he obtained Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Sociology.

Politics

= As Parliamentary Candidate =

In The 2000 Ghana Elections he stood as a parliamentary candidate in the Suhum (Ghana parliament constituency) and lost to Ransford Agyapong, the New Patriotic Party candidate by gaining 12,368 of the votes cast representing 41.20% whilst the winner got 16,494 votes representing 54.90%.{{Cite web|last=FM|first=Peace|title=Ghana Election 2000 Results - Suhum Constituency|url=http://ghanaelections.peacefmonline.com/pages/2000/eastern/107/index.php|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Ghana Elections - Peace FM|date=17 December 2014 }} In 2004 he again stood for the parliamentary seat in the Suhum (Ghana parliament constituency) and lost to the New Patriotic Party's Frederick Opare-Ansah who got a 21,720 votes representing 55.20% against his 17,125 votes representing 43.50%.{{Cite web|last=FM|first=Peace|title=Ghana Election 2004 Results - Suhum Constituency|url=http://ghanaelections.peacefmonline.com/pages/2004/eastern/107/index.php|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Ghana Elections - Peace FM|date=17 December 2014 }}

In 2012 when his party was in power he once again stood for the parliamentary candidate for the Suhum (Ghana parliament constituency) seat and lost by 388 votes the closest he had come in the three times he had stood for the parliamentary seat. He lost to the incumbent rival from the 2004 Elections Frederick Opare-Ansah, who got 24,046 votes representing 49.28% whilst he got 23,658 representing 48.49%.{{Cite web|last=FM|first=Peace|title=Ghana Election 2012 Results - Suhum Constituency|url=http://ghanaelections.peacefmonline.com/pages/2012/eastern/107/index.php|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Ghana Elections - Peace FM}}

= Ghana Tourism Authority =

In 2009 he was appointed as the chief executive officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority.{{Cite web|title=GTB adopts measures to improve tourism|url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/256069/gtb-adopts-measures-to-improve-tourism.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Modern Ghana|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-02-24 |title=Accolades pour in for Julius Debrah |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Accolades-pour-in-for-Julius-Debrah-347888 |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=Ghanaweb. |language=en}} He served in that role from 2009 to January 2013. In mid 2011, under his leadership and the Ministry of Tourism, the then Ghana Tourist Board was reshaped into the Ghana Tourism Authority to enhance its role in promoting tourism in Ghana through the Parliament of Ghana's passage of ACT 817.[https://new-ndpc-static1.s3.amazonaws.com/pubication/Min+of+Tourism+2011+APR.pdf]

= Minister of State =

== Regional Minister ==

In February 2013 Debrah was nominated by John Dramani Mahama to serve in the position of Eastern Regional Minister.{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Peace FM |title=Prez Mahama Names Two More Regional Ministers |url=https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201302/155769.php |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=Peacefmonline - Ghana news}} After a month he was moved from Eastern Region to the capital region Greater Accra to serve as the Greater Accra Regional Minister.{{Cite web |title=Reshuffling Regional Ministers all too soon is impolitic |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/opinion/reshuffling-regional-ministers-all-too-soon-is-impolitic/ |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=MyJoyOnline. |date=12 March 2013 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Greater Accra Regional Minister tours Latex Foam|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/greater-accra-regional-minister-tours-latex-foam.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}}

{{Cite web|title=Local governance key to development — Debrah|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/local-governance-key-to-development-debrah.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}} He served in that role for year and was seen as someone championing the involvement of the local government in nation building.{{Cite web|title=Greater Accra Minister meets regional heads of department|url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/455406/greater-accra-minister-meets-regional-heads-of.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Modern Ghana|language=en}}{{quote box

| quote = "Governance is about satisfying the needs of the people. This makes local government highly influential since it is basically practiced at the grass-roots level”.

| source = – Debrah on the importance of Local government in nation building during his maiden visit to the Kpone Katamanso District Assembly on 24 April 2013.{{Cite web|title='Local governance key to development — Debrah {{!}} graphic.com|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/local-governance-key-to-development-debrah.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=www.graphic.com.gh}}

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== Minister for Local Government and Rural Development ==

Debrah was appointed to serve as Minister in charge of Local Government and Rural Development after serving as regional minister for both Greater Accra Region and Eastern Region.{{Cite web|title=Julius Debrah replaces Local Govt Minister|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/julius-debrah-replaces-local-govt-minister.html|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}} This was seen by experts as a move to ensure the massive involvement of the local authorities and people in decision making and nation building.{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Peace FM |title=Julius Debrah Has Clout For Local Governance - Kyei Baffour |url=http://m.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201406/202001.php |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=peacefmonline. |language=en-US}}

= Chief of Staff =

In February 2015, Julius Debrah was appointed Chief of Staff by President John Dramani Mahama to replace Prosper Bani after serving as the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development the one year prior.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=15 February 2015 |title=Update: Prosper Bani out, Julius Debrah in, as new Chief of Staff |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/update-prosper-bani-out-julius-debrah-in-as-new-chief-of-staff/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=MyJoyOnline. |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Adjorlolo |first=Ruth Abla |title=Eastern Regional NDC Parliamentary caucus congratulates Debrah |url=https://gbcghana.com/1.2005107 |access-date=2020-12-04 |website=Gbc Ghana. |language=en}} Debrah's appointment was received with joy by members of the National Democratic Congress. In January 2025, he was appointed as the chief of staff by John Mahama who was elected president for his second term in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Mahama appoints Julius Debrah as Chief of Staff, others to presidency |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/1369987/mahama-appoints-julius-debrah-to-serve-as-presiden.html |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Modern Ghana |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-06 |title=Mahama names Julius Debrah as Chief of Staff; Goosie Tanoh, others get key roles |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2025/01/mahama-names-julius-debrah-as-chief-of-staff/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |language=en-US}}