When great men walk through the sand and leave behind indelible footprints, it is often difficult for their children to emulate them, let alone do much better than their outstanding feats.

Not because their children cannot leave their own footprints, but often, the standard set by the first generation is so high and difficult to replicate.

This is the case of the Alius; the late Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, and his son, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, the Hon. Member of Parliament for Yendi.

The only difference and exception here is that, unlike in many situations where sons of legends are not able to emulate their parents, young Farouk Aliu Mahama is doing so much, which is making admirers of his illustrious father so father.

The Member of Parliament for Yendi, a northern stronghold of the ruling NPP is 42 years today. And at the young age of 42, Farouk Aliu Mahama has already made remarkable strides in his academic and political journey, projecting the legacy of his respected father and positively impacting the lives of his people back home in the North, and beyond.

For someone whose father became Vice President when he was at the tempting teenage age of 19, someone who lost his influential father around 29 years, circumstances and many factors could have gotten him completely wayward and lost.

He, however, remain focused and persevered to become a well-qualified academic, a smart politician and a philantropist, as his impressive profile below shows.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Farouk Aliu Mahama in his professional life is a Certified International Supply Chain Professional, and has used his knowledge in this field to render invaluable service to Ghana at Ghana Cocoa Board.

He rose through the ranks at the Ghana Cocoa Board to become Procurement Manager now a Member of Parliament for Yendi and Board Chairman for Ghana Integrated Iron And Steeel Development Corporation(GIISDEC).

Early Life and Family Background

Hon. Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama was born on 27th April, 1981 to a prominent political family of H.E Alhaji Aliu Mahama and H.E Hajia Ramatu Mahama, the late former Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana between 2001-2009

His father - a respected Northern politician and businessmen, made history as Ghana's first Muslim Vice-President.

His paternal grandfather, Zongo Naa Mahama, was the Zongo Chief of Yendi, the traditional capital of Dagbon, and his maternal grandfather, Alhaji Imoro Egala, was Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister in the First Republic(1960-1961) and later, Education Minister and then Trade and Industries Minister under the government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was also the first black chairman of Ghana Cocoa Board and the founder of People's National Party, the mother party of the People's National Convention(PNC).


EDUCATION

Alhaji Faouk Aliu Mahama started his basic education at Presby Experimental School in Tamale and was later enrolled in the Achimota schools. He proceeded to Prempeh College in Kumasi to undertake his secondary education and later to Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

Farouk Aliu Mahama holds a Master's degree in Supply Chain Management from the Coventry University in England, the United Kingdom and a Certified International Supply Chain Professional from International Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Institute-USA.

Academic Accolades and Credentials

Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama has many academic honors to his credit, recognizing his professional performance. Some are:

• Candidate, Phd, Supply Chain Management, Azteca University, Chalco-Mexico

•Cambridge University (Institute of Sustainability Leadership)- High Impact Leadership

• Scottish Qualification Authority in procurement integrity from the Scottish Qualification Authority

• Honors in contract management from Ghana Suppliers Commission

• Harvard Kennedy School- Emerging Leaders

• Certified International Supply Chain Manager-IPSCMI-USA

• Chartered Procurement Member-MCIPS, UK.

• Honors in Procurement of goods and services from World Bank

• World Bank E-Procurement and Implementation from Government of Ghana.

• New procurement Framework by World Bank

• Institute of Supply Chain Management

• Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration- Bachelor of Science in Marketing

• Coventry University, United Kingdom-Master of Science in Procurement and Supply Chain Management

• Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)-Corporate Award

Other Honours

Alhaji Faouk Aliu Mahama is an active serving member of the Aliu Mahama Foundation Board. He is also the first young politician from Northern Ghana to have addressed students of the prestigious Oxford University upon receiving an invitation for the Oxford University Africa Conference in 2019.

*He received a special invitation to Westminster Parliament(British Parliament) to speak on the occasion of Black History Month—the first and the only rising Ghanaian politician to be afforded that meritorious opportunity. He has, among others, also been part of the these conferences

• African Peace Conference held by PAAMA UK, London.

• Speaker at Oxford African Conference, Oxford University

• Speaker at British Parliament to mark black history month.

• Northern Ghana Investment Conference, a Business durbar held in Tamale.

Awards

• Most Promising Politician, Northern Excellence Awards, 2020

• Rising Star of the year – Northern Business Excellence Awards, 2020

• LEADS AFRICA Patriotic Personality and Philantropist Award, 2021

• Development Politician Of the Year, 2021, Northern Excellence Awards

• Male Personality of the Year, Spotlight Creative Arts and Business Awards, 2022.

• Top 30 Coventry University Achievers, UK. 2022

Personal Life

Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama has three (3) sons, Maltiti Aliu Mahama Jr, Nurudeen Mahama and Abdul Nasir with his wife Ayisha Mahama. As a native Yendi extract, Farouk Aliu Mahama speaks fluent Dagbani, Hausa, Twi and elementary speaker of Ga. He has openly professed his hobby in football and philanthropy.


FAROUK AS MP

As part of his revolutionary leadership, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama established a Non-Government Organization, Partnership for Poverty Reduction to focus on social interventions in areas of agriculture to boost local economies, health, women and youth empowerment etc.

As the Member for Parliament for the Yendi Constituency, Hon. Farouk Aliu Mahama, hopes to leverage his position to uplift the people of Yendi. He is undertaking numerous interventions that seek to transform and touch the lives of the good people of Yendi.

He has arrow-headed a major change in the politics of Yendi by transiting Yendi politics to one of real transformation. In the Parliament House, he is currently serving as Chairman of the Parliamentary Muslim Caucus and a member of the following select Committees:

1. Gender and Children Committee- Chairman

2.. Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affiars Committee-member

Professional Membership

• Chattered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS-UK)​​​​Member

• Institute of supply Chain Management​​​​​​​Member

• Certified International Supply Chain Professional ​​​​​Member

• Certified International Supply Chain Manager​​​​​​Member

• International Purchasing and Supply Chain Mgt. Institute (IPSCMI, VIP)​​​Member

Political Credentials

• Member of 2020 Northern Regional Campaign Council

• Finance Committee Chairman, NPP Northern Regional Youth Wing

• Member, Finance Committee, 2022 NPP National Delegates Conference

• Patron, NPP Germany Branch

• Patron, Greater Accra Regional TESCON

Without a doubt, Farouk Aliu Umar Mahama is making his dad proud, and upholding his legacy.

His dad, H.E. Alhaji Aliu, and his mum, H.E. Hajia Ramatu, would be proud of their son, Farouk if they were alive. Surely, they are proud of him where they are, just as many are.

At 42, Farouk has achieved so much, but he can do more.

Happy birthday Hon.