Air Vice Marshal Michael Samson-Oje was born on 5 January 1954 at Damongo in the Northern Region. He attended Tamale Secondary School, also in the Northern Region, for his General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Certificate and continued to Navrongo Secondary School in the Upper East Region for Advanced level Certificate.

AVM Samson-Oje enlisted into the Ghana Air Force and was commissioned on 16 June 1978 (back-dated to 20 August 1977) as a pilot having successfully completed his basic military training and intial and advanced flying training at the Flight Training School in Takoradi and Netherlands Government Civil Flying School from 20 February 1976 to 08 June 1978.

AVM Samson-Oje holds a Master Degree in National Security and Strategy. Courses he attended include the Gulf Stream III Transition Course, Savannah, USA, in 1999, the Fokker 28 Fellowship Course of Instruction for pilots, Flight Crew Training and Operations Support, Schiphol, Netherlands in 1986, Airline Transport Pilot Ground School, Flight Safety Academy, Florida, USA in June 2000 and the National Defence University, Washington, DC USA (December 2003 to December 2004) where he obtained the Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Diploma, and MSc (National Security and Strategy) at the Air War College, Montgomery Alabama (June 2005 – June 2006).

Other courses include Junior Staff Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (August to December 1987) and the Senior Command and Staff Course at the Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna in Nigeria (August 1991 to 1992).

AVM Samson–Oje has held several appointments. These include Squadron Pilot, Communications Squadron (1978 to 1995), Officer Commanding Flying Wing, Air Force Base Accra (February 1999 to March 2003), Director Air Intelligence with additional responsibility for Air Operations,  at the Air force Headquarters from September 2004 to June 2005 and Air Secretary, Airforce Headquarters (June 2006 to January 2007). 

With respect to international peacekeeping, AVM Samson-Oje served as a military observer with the United Nations Protection Force in Yugoslavia, from December 1992 to December 1993.

Until his elevation as the Chief of Air Staff in March 2009, he was the Station Commander, Air Force Station Takoradi and a member of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority Board.

AVM Samson–Oje has an extensive piloting experience. He is married and has Children. He enjoys exercising in the gymnasium, watching the History and Discovery Channels and keeping abreast with contemporary issues.