Esther Cobbah elected IPR Ghana President

The Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana has elected Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, a Fellow of the Institute and seasoned multiple award-winning communications professional, as its new President.

The elections took place during the Institute’s 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Ghana’s eastern region.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Cobbah articulated her vision of working with all members to grow IPR, Ghana into a strong professional community of excellence, with an enduring and impactful voice nationally, as well as continentally and globally.

She said, “I thank you all who have participated in this election and selected me to lead this great Institute.  I am here to serve. By God’s grace, it will be my privilege to provide a leadership that pays close attention to your needs, your aspirations and your concerns. I offer not only a pair of listening ears but also a heart that beats for PR and cares about you, hands that will work and legs that will walk with you and on your behalf. You have agreed to come with me and make it happen. Let’s make it happen.”

Ms. Cobbah stated, “I want to thank God for all His blessings to me, including this honour of being elected today as President of IPR, Ghana. I can say in the words of the prophet Isaiah to the Almighty: “… all that we have accomplished you have done for us… your name alone do we honour.” (Isaiah 26:12b and 13b).

Mr. Mawuko Afadzinu, who handed over as President to Ms. Cobbah, said he has confidence in the ability of  the new executives to continue to grow the institute.

Gathering Public Relations practitioners from across the nation, the Summit and AGM, with the theme “PR Excellence in the Age of Misinformation, Disinformation, and Information Overload“, provided a platform for the communication professionals to network, exchange ideas on innovative practices, and deliberate on issues central to the profession and the Institute.

After successfully completing their professional accreditation processes, the Institute also inducted forty-seven practitioners as Associate and Accredited Members.

The AGM, which was preceded by the Institute’s Annual National Communications Summit, also saw the following executives of the Institute being elected: Donald Gwira, a private Communication consultant, as Vice President, Solace A. M. Akomeah, of Ghana Water Limited, as Honorary Secretary, Abraham Otabil of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as Deputy Honorary Secretary, and Gabriel Nii Otu Ankrah of Methodist Health Trust, as Treasurer.

Ms. Cobbah, a veteran communication specialist with over 40 years of professional experience, is the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Communications Africa (Stratcomm Africa) which she set up 30 years ago. She sits on the Board of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and the Advisory Board of the College of Education of the University of Ghana, in which is the Department of Communication Studies.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a postgraduate diploma in Communication from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Masters in Communication from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, majoring in Communication for Developing Nations, Organizational and Intercultural Communication. She is an International Rotary Scholar.

Ms. Cobbah has been an industry trailblazer in many respects. She set up the Public Affairs Department of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and was the first Manager of the Department. She was also the first External Affairs Manager of the West African Gas Pipeline Project (WAGP, now WAPCO), sponsored by Chevron, Shell, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Société Beninoise de Gaz, Société Togolaise de Gaz, managing a team drawn from the four participating countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria).

Ms. Cobbah’s dedication to the Institute is evident through her longstanding service in various capacities over the years, including her recent tenure as member of the Executive Council of the Institute and Chair of its Professional Awards Committee.