Dr Adutwum would make a fantastic, substantive Minister for Education

Following what is trickling in through the grapevine that Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, MP for Bosomtwe, is penciled to be named the substantive Minister for Education, stakeholders in the sector are agog with excitement, as they believe the former deputy minister ticks all the right boxes for his imminent elevation to the apex position at the education ministry.

Several newspapers, including The Daily Guide, a paper with close proximity to the Akufo-Addo Presidency, reported on Tuesday, 12 Jan 2021, that the Bosomtwe MP’s former superior, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is likely to head to the energy ministry to make way for the highly experienced educationist to ascend to the helm as substantive minister.

Pleased with the news, members of the education community cannot wait to see this happen. The general view is that Dr Adutwum would make a fantastic, substantive minister, given his background and outstanding qualities.

First and foremost, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum is considered to be duly deserving of the role by virtue of his academic standing and experience. He is highly learned, widely read, knowledgeable, and abundantly well-resourced with the requisite training, practice and skill set to deliver results for the President at the said ministry. No wonder the President is on record to have referred to him as “the big-headed man”; a man full of brilliant ideas. You just have to listen to him discuss matters related to education and you cannot but admire his sterling expertise in the field.

Besides, Dr Adutwum is extremely hardworking. We all saw that at the initial stages of the implementation of the government’s Free SHS programme in its first term. As Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh at his uncompromising best bulldozed the programme through, Dr Adutwum was on the background working diligently to fill parents and other stakeholders in with all the essential details to win their support to sustain the programme.

He was virtually on all the airwaves, tirelessly explaining issues relating to the programme and addressing concerns of stakeholders, particularly parents. Moreover, whenever issues regarding placement of students arose during his tenure as the Deputy Minister, he was readily available to proffer solutions and, in fact, led in most of the ministry’s efforts in resolving the challenges with the placement system. Such industry certainly puts him in good stead for the substantive-minister role.

Next, Dr Adutwum is exceedingly passionate about education issues such that there’s no doubt he would succeed as substantive minister for the sector. He has been in the news this week for sponsoring 30 students from his constituency to enroll at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to do various engineering courses in line with his vision of raising 100 engineers for his constituency in the next ten years; a gesture that clearly sets new standards in local politics and is deemed worthy of emulation.

In discussing the matter with a publisher-friend of mine who is a Ga, he noted, “Charlie that man is ‘education gbee.’” The Gas call people who are overly passionate about football as “ball-gbee.” The term isn’t complimentary, as it is often used to refer to those who are so passionate about football that they wouldn’t even mind if one were to slit their throat as long as they are kicking a ball. However, my friend used it as a compliment and I couldn’t disagree with him.

Such is Dr Adutwum’s passion about the development of the youth that he wouldn’t mind if he were to be stripped of whatever he has so long as he is involved in something to do with the education and training of young people. Since such passion drives success, there’s no doubt that Dr Adutwum would achieve great success at the ministry of education should the president indeed give him the nod to head the ministry.

For those who think his generous gestures are merely political gimmicks, think again. I understand he started supporting promising young ones with free counseling and teaching in churches and at their homes in the US even before establishing his own school, long before politics discovered him, I would say.

Lastly, Doctor Adutwum also checks the acceptability box. Of course, if the appointment of the Minister for Education were to be made through voting by stakeholders, it is obvious Dr Adutwum would win it by a landslide. He is hugely popular among people in the education sector, including even those with opposing political persuasions.

As a teacher by training, an author, and a publisher, I interact with other stakeholders in the sector on a daily basis, and I can say, without equivocation, that if you ask school authorities such as principals, directors, administrators, heads—both in public and private institutions;; or teachers, lecturers and curriculum developers; or educational publishers, book sellers, authors: the majority of them would tell you they would prefer Doctor Adutwum as the Minister for Education.

So, at a time when the government has promised to work together with members of the opposition, it is logical that it would not overlook the one man most capable of drawing ideas from all sides to ensure the supreme interest of the nation, as regard the education and development of our human capital.

So, we in the education sector are not surprised to hear that President Akufo-Addo intends to name Dr Adutwum as substantive Minister for Education. We even think the MP has been the President’s dream-minister for the sector all along; except that as pragmatic and experienced as he is, Nana Addo could not have been expected to thrust him at the helm right after poaching him from the US. He needed to try him. He has and the man has proven himself worthy. Now is his time and we are confident the President would not disappoint.

The writer is a teacher by profession, an author, a publisher, and director at Asdan Publishing.