A senior lecturer at the University of Ghana and a leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Dr Michael Kpessa Whyte has declared his intention to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the ShaiOsudoku constituency.

The former Executive Director, of the National Service Scheme, and ex-presidential staffer for former President John Mahama said his decision to contest came after broader consultation.

According to him, the grassroots in the constituency spoke about broken promises, unmet expectations, disappointments, needless divisions, lack of opportunity for the youth, and lack of obvious purposeful leadership with visibility at the national level.

The aspiring candidate said the constituency has been neglected when it comes to socio-economic development.

He described the constituency as a paradox and has declared to contest to bring to tye people the needed leadership and socio-economic development.

The aspirant is a Research Fellow with the History and Politics Section at the Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ghana, Legon, and a political scientist in the tradition of Comparative Public Policy and Political Institutions.

He joined IAS in 2011 from the Jonson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon where he was a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Post-Doctoral Fellow.

In 2012 he was adjudged “The Most Promising Young Researcher” by the Faculty (now School) of Social Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon.

Between 2013 and early 2017 he served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana with a dual responsibility as the Executive Director of the Ghana National Service Scheme.

Dr Kpessa-Whyte is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and he teaches various undergraduate and graduate courses relating to the study of African politics.

Education
2009 PhD, Political Science (Comparative Public Policy), Department of Political Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2005 Master of Arts, Political Science (International Relations), Department of Political Science, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

2001 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Legon