Dr. Myma Belo-Osagie
Dr. Myma Belo-Osagie, alumna of the University of Ghana, has delivered the 2016 Alumni lecture on the topic ‘Who is "them”? Governance in the educational sphere’. This year's lecture was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu.
Dr. Belo-Osagie, who is Senior Managing Partner of Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie law, dwelt mainly on education of children, saying that it is vital for the future of Ghana and indeed the whole of Africa. Governance of the educational sphere, she reiterated, is an important issue. Although this issue is one that should concern everybody, she noted that we often fail to engage or participate - in part because we fail to see what we as individuals can do to make a difference. She cited examples of how social media plays an important role in the evolution of spoken and written language in day to day discourse. Dr. Belo-Osagie further introduced the distrust spellchecks on phones and computers posed to users.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Mr. Paa Kwesi Yankey, the Chairman of the University of Ghana Alumni Association highlighted some of the roles of the Alumni Association. He catalogued some of the alumni-sponsored projects the Association has been working on and mentioned that the Mothers’ Wing, an initiative of the Alumni Association would soon be inaugurated.
The event also coincided with the conferment of honorary membership in the University of Ghana Alumni Association on His Excellency, Mr John Agyekum Kuffour- Former President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Emerita Prof. Mary E. Kropp Dakubu, a former Director of the Language Centre and longest serving expatriate on faculty, Prof. John Owusu Gyapong, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development, and currently the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mr Kofi Esson, Chief of Staff at Tullow Oil Ghana for their efforts in making University of Ghana a “go-to” university. Among other honours was a Life Membership Award presented to Mrs. Stella A. Amoa, Director of Public Affairs, University of Ghana, for her selfless dedication to the well-being of the Alumni Association and for the significant role in keeping the Association alive. He mentioned that a special ceremony would later be held to present an award to the Chancellor, His Excellency Kofi Annan.
The lecture was also attended by the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Retired Diplomat Mr K.B. Asante, former Vice-Chancellors, Professor Ernest Aryeetey and Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, Members of the Volta hall alumnae, the Akuafo Hall Traditional Council and Cadet Corps, Students of the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC, Legon) led by their Headmistress, family members of the lecturer, as well as other members of the University of Ghana Community.
Profile of Dr. (Mrs.) MYMA BELO-OSAGIE (nee Bentsi-Enchill)
Dr. Myma Belo-Osagie (nee Bentsi-Enchill), holds an LL.B. (1975) from the University of Ghana and an LL.M (1978) and SJD (1985) from Harvard Law School, USA. She was called to the Ghana Bar in 1977, the same year that she graduated from the Ghana Law School. She was subsequently called to the New York Bar in 1983. Thereafter, she attended the Nigeria Law School from 1983 to 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.
Dr. Belo-Osagie assisted with the drafting of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, and was retained by the Federal Government to assist also with the drafting of Nigeria’s downstream gas legislation. She has advised several local, regional and international companies, organisations, institutions and governments on a variety of transactions.
Dr. Belo-Osagie is currently a senior managing partner of a leading Nigerian corporate law firm, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie. She specializes in Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment, Telecommunications, and Corporate Restructuring. In addition, Dr. Belo-Osagie sits on the Board of various companies and acts as a trustee on the Board of several non-profit organisations, including the African Leadership Foundation, the Growing Businesses Foundation, the African Wildlife Foundation, and the Art and Business Foundation.
She has published several articles on Nigerian petroleum regulations, Nigerian environmental law, and foreign investment in Nigeria in international journals such as the Petroleum Economist.
Dr. Belo-Osagie is married and is a mother of four children.
