October 7, 2016 - Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akuffo-Addo, paid a visit to Ashesi after gracing the installation ceremony of Nana Osae-Sekyie, sub-chief of Berekuso-Asebe.
Accompanied by Member of Parliament for Akuapem South, Honorable O.B. Amoah, and other party members, Mr. Akuffo-Addo took a tour of Ashesi’s campus and met with university leadership.
“The focus of what is being done here is clearly what we want to give to our educational system in the next fifty years,” said Nana Akuffo Addo. “We have to find a way of restructuring and reorienting our educational system so that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics become the driving force. All the countries in the world that have made the transformation that we are committed to doing in Ghana have had to pass through that route. It’s extremely important for us in Ghana to come to an understanding that this has to be the goal for us. So to come and see Ashesi doing this first hand is very refreshing and extremely encouraging.”
“We live in a country where people tend to believe that everything has to be done by the state, whether in education, driving the economy or social welfare,” Nana Addo said. “It is the exact opposite of what some of us believe. We believe that the future of our country is better served by unleashing the energies of our people: the sense of enterprise and the sense of creativity of the Ghanaian people. It is very comforting to see a Ghanaian who has taken it upon himself to initiate this extraordinary construct, and it is extremely important that the story of what is being attempted here at Ashesi is disseminated throughout the country. It will help more Ghanaians be aware of the work that you are doing here. It is very inspirational.”
Ashesi President Dr. Patrick Awuah, who received the flag bearer and his team, expressed gratitude for the visit, and reiterated Ashesi’s resolve to contribute to Ghana’s growth.
“Such attention from the leadership of our country for the next generation is very important,” he said. “In addition to the work we do in STEM, we are also very engaged in the education of good citizens and leaders, who have empathy and concern for their society, and who are committed to solving problems. With respect to what Ashesi represents for Ghana and Africa, I hope we serve as one example of what higher education institutions can do in their countries.”