The acting Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Human Security, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, was one of the eight passengers who lost their lives in the helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region yesterday.

They were en route to Obuasi on an official assignment when the accident occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning, carrying out his first official assignment since he was appointed in the second term administration of President John Dramani Mahama about a fortnight ago.

During the first term of President Mahama’s administration from 2012 to January 2017, Alhaji Limuna served as a Northern Regional Minister, the Upper East Regional Minister, the Minister of Food and Agriculture and a Minister of State in charge of Human Resources Department and Scholarships at the Presidency.

Education

Born on August 8, 1967, in Damongo Langbonto in the Savannah Region, the gentle politician would have celebrated his 59th birthday tomorrow.

He is the great-grandson of the Damongo Wura Dange.

He began his Junior High School (JHS) education at the Vitting Experimental JHS from 1977 to 1980, after his primary education at the United Primary School from 1972 to 1977, both in Tamale.

He attended the Damongo Secondary School, Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, for his GCE Ordinary Level from 1980 to 1984, and the Tamale Secondary School in Tamale from 1986 to 1988 for his GCE Advanced Level.

The acting Deputy National Security Coordinator obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ghana between 1990 and 1993.

He then went on to study for a Post-graduate Diploma in Health Policy, Planning and Financing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine between 2007 and 2008, and then to the University of London, UK (LSE) for a Master of Science degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing. 

Working life

An Administrator and a Health Policy Analyst with a focus on Health Financing, Alhaji Limuna worked as an Administrator and Health Policy Adviser at the Minister of Health and the Project Coordinator, Health Insurance Project, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIS) from 2009 to 2010.

From 2004 to 2009, he worked as an Administrator and NHIS Desk Officer, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Ministry of Health; Assistant Director of Administration, General Administration Directorate from 2000 to 2004; Assistant Director of Administration, Policy Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation from 1997 -2000.

Alhaji Limuna is the founder and Chairman of Damongo-based Kasha 99.5 FM.

He is married with four children.

Alhaji Limuna, while serving as the then Northern Regional Minister in 2015, expressed interest in contesting in the parliamentary primary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Damongo constituency, but pulled out of the contest.

His decision not to contest, according to him, was to help seek party unity and cohesion.

Known for his punctuality at work and at public events, he took a swipe at public servants who always attended public functions late, as the Northern Regional Minister.

Then, he explained that such an attitude casts a slur on the image of the public service and affects the collective efforts being made towards national development.

Alhaji Limuna had a strong indignation for the lateness of public officials to functions in the region and at one point directed the Regional Coordinating Director to query and sanction public officials, especially Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region who attended public functions late.