The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said human capital development through education was the only tool that could bring development to the country.
He said he was proud for the successful introduction of the Free Senior High School (FSHS), which he said prepared a strong foundation for the country’s development.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he was satisfied as he was about to end his two terms as president, in view of the successes achieved in the areas of education, health infrastructure development and the road sector, which made him a happy president whose legacy would forever be remembered in the history of the country.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Ho in the Volta Region and Dambai in the Oti Region as part of his thank you tour of the country, the President stressed that development nations across the world had succeeded through sustainable quality education, adding that Ghana could not develop without building a strong human capital through education.
He said statistics showed that only 18 per cent of Ghanaian children started primary school and entered into the university, and announced that the country had so far spent GH¢ 12 billion on the FSHS, and said by the year 2030, 40 per cent of Ghanaian children in primary school.
He said the mining of the numerous mineral deposits in the country could not help develop Ghana, and that if large mineral deposits were the bases for a country’s development, then Ghana would have been one of the developed countries in the world but human capital development was the best practice through education.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the country lagged behind in terms of development, and must embrace the fourth industrial revolution through digitalisation as the Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, had demonstrated, saying that was the only way for Ghana to join the developed countries.
He said “I trust only one man, Dr Bawumia, to lead the country into the fourth industrial revolution to bring the needed development to the country like Korea and that was what Ghana needed and not 24-hour economy proposed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which their Presidential Candidate could not explain to Ghanaians how it would work.
Nana Akufo-Addo who was sure of a brighter future under the leadership of Dr Bawumia said all the past presidents ended their second terms and left memorable legacies except Mr John Dramani Mahama who Ghanaians decided not to give a second term because of non-performance.
He stressed that the late President Jerry John Rawlings introduced the Local Government concept, the late Professor Mills passed away without ending his first term, former President John Agyekum Kufuor brought the National Health Insurance Scheme and he Nana Akufo-Addo introduced the FSHS and former President Mahama had nothing to show.
The President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional area, Togbe Tepre Hodo, commended President Akufo-Addo and hoped that his experiences over the years would help promote development of the country, and wished him well as he prepared to leave office.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, HO
