Dr Bisiw wins Adom FM's “Best Minister” award

Dr Hana Louisa Bisiw, Deputy Water Resource, Works and Housing Minister

Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing Dr. Hannah Louisa Bisiw may have courted displeasure within the academia for insisting on being addressed with her titles, but this did not influence the public's judgment in voting her “Best Minister” for 2009”.

Dr Bisiw sparked a controversy last month when she demanded on national television that she is addressed by her titles. This was just when Adom FM had launched an on-air competition for the “Best Minister”, inviting the public to vote for their favorite minister through SMS text messages.

The controversy, however, might have had rather marginal impact on the public's perception of her as she easily scooped the Adom FM award with 47 percent of the votes collated by Media Edge Charter House which powered the on-air competition.

Former Health Minister Dr. Sipa Yankey polled 31 percent to place second while Agriculture Minister Kwesi Ahwoi placed third with 12 percent.

The first casualty in the Mills administration, former sports minister Muntaka Mubarak, had the dishonor of being voted the worst minister in the first year. He polled 70 percent of the votes that chastised ministers.

The second position in that “worst” category went to Central Regional Minister Ama Benyiwa Doe. Thirty percent of the respondents were not happy with her performance.

Dr. Bisiw winning the award may come as a surprise to some observers considering the controversy that followed her demand to be addressed with her titles.

However, critics acknowledge her resourcefulness and work rate. Within the past one year, Dr. Bisiw has virtually become the face of the ministry she represents, dealing with issues like water supply, public bungalows and construction of public housing units.

Commenting on the award, Dr. Bisiw expressed gratitude to listeners who endorsed her work and pledged to improve on her output this year. She also expressed gratitude to President Mills for giving her the opportunity to serve the nation.

Dr. Bisiw is a progressive veterinary doctor trained in Cuba. She graduated with honors in a university in Cuba and has tremendous knowledge in business management and administration plus strategic planning and leadership skills.

She was an active student politician, rising to the vice president of the SRC and an executive member of the DYLG.

Dr. Bisiw has worked in various capacities in veterinary hospitals in Ghana. She has worked on projects in Cuba and at the Ministry of Health in Ghana.

Dr. Bisiw was an active member of NDC Manifesto Committee; she was a member of the NDC 2008 campaign team. She even contested the NDC parliamentary primary in the Tano South Constituency.

She is knowledgeable, confident, and very hardworking. She has been a regular voice on the airwaves, selling the ideas of the new NDC. Together with many others, she helped to win the 2008 elections for the NDC.

It is not clear whether Dr. Sipa Yankey's alleged involvement in the Maybe and Johnson bribery saga might have affected his ratings. Some of the respondents however were satisfied with his output at the ministry of health within the relatively short period that he handled that portfolio.

Story by Nii Noi Vanderpuye/Adom FM