New Juaben South Member of Parliament, Michael Okyere Baafi, has traced his journey from a sports-loving teenager to one of Ghana’s most academically accomplished lawmakers, revealing that politics was never his original plan.
Baafi said he grew up in Suhyen in the Eastern Region, an area where education was rare and many young people dropped out to pursue sports or trades.
He, too, was drawn to athletics, playing table tennis and football throughout his school years.
“I was so passionate about becoming a military man,” he recounted in an interview on Joy Prime monitored by MyNewsGh.
“That was the only profession I ever dreamed of.”
“Despite several attempts, his path to the Ghana Armed Forces never materialised. After completing university, a documentation issue disqualified him from enlistment, a moment he now describes as divine redirection.
“When I didn’t get in, I realised maybe that wasn’t my way,” he said. “God has his own time and purpose.”
Today, Baafi holds multiple master’s degrees and is pursuing a PhD in Management, specialising in Free Zones and Special Economic Zones, an area he believes is crucial to Ghana’s trade growth.
Reflecting on his path, the MP said what once seemed like failure turned out to be preparation for leadership.
“Sometimes, the doors that don’t open are the ones that lead you where you truly belong,” he said.
