Cape Coast, Feb. 8, GNA - Mr Ato Essuman, a 51-year-old management consultant, was on Tuesday elected the Central regional representative on the Council of State.

He polled 21 votes of the total 26 votes cast, while Nana Prah Agyensaim IV, 61, the incumbent member of the council and chief of Assin Kushea had five votes.

Before the election, which was supervised by the Electoral Commission, a third contestant, Mr George Clement, 53, an educationist, announced his withdrawal from the race, and declared his support for Mr Essuman.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Essuman, who is also a Chief Director at the Ministry of Education, thanked the regional Electoral College for the confidence reposed in him, and promised to discharge his duties to expectation.

The new Council of State member-elect, was born at Saltpond in 1953 and was educated at Prempeh College and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

He pursued a Masters in Business Administration degree at the Hawaii University in the United States.

Mr Essuman, who is also a lay president of the Methodist Church, worked with the Nestle Ghana Limited for 14 years before joining the Ministry of Education.

Nana Agyensaim congratulated Mr Essuman on his victory and assured him of his support to ensure the maintenance of peace and accelerated development of the region.