Minister of the Interior and Member of Parliament of Asawase, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka
The Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, shared the story of his fascinating ancestry during his vetting on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Muntaka, who listed Kumasi as his hometown in his CV, was asked to explain why, as a Dagomba man, he would claim to hail from the capital town of the Asante Kingdom.
He began his explanation by stating that he does not subscribe to the belief that one’s hometown is defined solely by where their grandfather or great-grandfather comes from.
While he is of Dagomba descent, the dominant ethnic group in the Northern Region of Ghana, he explained that he considers Kumasi his hometown because it is where he was born and has lived all his life, along with his family.
“Everybody comes from somewhere and moves to somewhere else. For me, Kumasi is my hometown. That’s where I was born and raised. I’ve lived there, and I have siblings who have never been to Techiman, let alone Tamale. Yes, I’m a Southerner with a Northern background, and I’m proud of it. I attended Tamale Secondary School, I visited my family, and I’ve been to Kumbungu where my grandfather comes from,” he shared.
“I was born and raised in Kumasi, and I proudly claim it as my hometown. Yes, we have an extended family spread across Salaga and Tamale, but Kumasi is where I’m from, and I’ll always be proud of being a Kumerican,” he added.
The Interior Minister, who also serves as the Member of Parliament of the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, then shared how his family came to settle in Kumasi.
Though his parents were born in the northern part of the country, Muntaka explained that they moved to Kumasi at a young age, where they established their home.
“My great-grandfather is from Kumbungu, and my grandfather was born and grew up there. He moved into trading through Salaga and eventually settled in Kumasi. My grandfather died in Kumasi and was buried there.”
“My father, who grew up in Kumasi, also passed away there. My mother was born in Tamale but moved to Kumasi when she was just two years old, and she has lived there ever since. I was born and raised in Kumasi. My father had 41 children, of which I am the 14th. Except for two, who were born in Salaga, all the other 39 of us were born and raised in Kumasi. Kumasi is all we’ve ever known,” he explained.
Brief profile of Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka:
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka was born on October 17, 1971. He is married with five children.
He has served as the Member of Parliament for Asawase since 2005. Muntaka first entered Parliament on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when he won a by-election in the Asawase constituency, replacing the late Dr. Gibrine, also of the NDC, who had won the seat in December 2004.
He has previously served as the Minority Chief Whip in Ghana’s Parliament and as Minister of Youth and Sports.
Muntaka is a development planner and quantity surveyor, holding a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Development Policy and Planning.
BAI/MA
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