President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed Akwasi Agyeibi Prempeh as first Commissioner of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB). Mr. Agyeibi Prempeh’s appointment gives way for operationalisation of the Bureau.
Following passage of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Act, 2020 (Act 1028) and its assent by the president, AIB was set up as an autonomous agency under the Ministry of Aviation.
The AIB’s establishment is in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), and its primary objective is to investigate, prevent, regulate and oversee the management of aircraft accidents and incidents which occur in Ghana, and to provide for related matters.
Mr. Prempeh holds an Msc. in Transport Planning from the University of Leeds, UK, and a Bsc. in Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. He has also pursued other air transport-related competency-based courses and professional programmes, including the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Response course at Cranfield University, UK, in 2019.
He has been a coordinator for the Accident Investigation Unit in the ministry for the past two years, and overall has deep knowledge as well as working experience in the aviation sector for the past 10 years. He has been part of the investigation of aircraft accidents in Ghana.
Most importantly, Mr. Prempeh played an instrumental role in the run-up to the ICAO Validated Coordinated Mission (ICVM) from March to April 2019, which culminated in Ghana’s achievement of the highest score of 89.89% – an enviable record on the African continent for safety and security.
He also featured prominently in the research and analysis phase and coordinated drafting of the AIB bill, which was recently passed by Parliament for establishment of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau.
The appointed officer is also professionally affiliated to several ICAO institutions and Regional Organisations. He is a member of the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA).
Mr. Prempeh comes to the job with overwhelming experience within the aviation industry, and it is expected that he will bring his experience to bear on the job.
The Ministry of Aviation congratulates him on his appointment and recognises his many years of hard work and dedicated service. We wish him well on his new assignment.