The Ghanaian professor of Geography, Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf, has been elected Chairperson of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Ghana’s public accountability watchdog on the oil industry.
She takes over from Kwame Adom Frimpong, an accountant and professor, who served two terms.
“Emerita Professor Ardayfio-Schandorf is the first woman to be elected as Chairperson since the inception of PIAC and will serve a one-year term”, according to a press statement.
The PIAC is a product of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), 2011 (Act 815), which was enacted to provide a “framework for the collection, allocation and management of petroleum revenue in a responsible, transparent, accountable and sustainable manner for the benefit of the citizens of Ghana in accordance with Article 36 of the Constitution and for related matters”.
As a watchdog institution, its mandate includes production of reports on the management and use of petroleum revenues.
The PIAC Reports are issued semi-annually and annually, and they capture critical issues in the oil and gas industry.
The announcement of Professor Ardayfio-Schandorf as the new PIAC head, describes her as having a distinguished academic career as well as being a trailblazer in many fields. “Her interests and engagements started in the early 1970s and have been nurtured over five decades through teaching, research, mentoring, consulting services and community outreach programmes.
“She is a Geographer, an Environmental Advisor an Expert in Rural Energy Systems, and a Development Consultant. She also has a passion for Family and Gender Research/Analysis, Women’s Empowerment, and Advocacy”.
