Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, Ghana’s hardworking Minister of Education who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bosomtwe Constituency in the Ashanti region was on Monday spotted receiving big cheers at the 66th independence celebration at Ho in the Volta region when he accompanied the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to inspect the parade.
Ghanaians across the globe on 6th March 2023 joined this year’s celebration held at Ho-Adakklu’s newly constructed multi-purpose stadium on the theme “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose”.
The well-organized celebration was attended by Special Guest of Honour, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), His Excellency Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and members of his delegation.
The first lady of Ghana, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Vice president and his wife Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Hajia Samira Bawumia, Ministers of State, foreign dignitaries, Nananom as well as heads of various security agencies were among the tall list of dignitaries who attended the celebration.
Hon Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum
Both basic and second-cycle institutions and security agencies displayed their marching skills to the admiration of about 5,000 participants.
For many Ghanaians, the big cheers Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum received on such a big occasion were not surprising because of the successes he has chalked in the Education sector despite the challenges.
Dr Adutwum a few days ago revealed that over 500,000 BECE graduates have been placed in various Senior High Schools across the country under the school placement system.
According to Dr Adutwum, the number has increased significantly following the introduction of the free SHS policy.
The Education Minister announced this at the 2022 Presidential BECE awards in Accra.
Dr Adutwum said the free SHS policy has opened many opportunities for children to attain secondary education.
“The Free SHS programme has sent many students to various high schools in the country. When it started in 2017, there were 830,000 students enrolled in high schools across the country.”
“This year alone, we have a record 500,000 students placed in senior high schools across the country, and we are waiting for them to enrol.
That tells you the progress we have made these past few years.”
Records
It would be recalled that on March 6, 1957, Ghana gained independence after 83 years of British colonial rule – becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to obtain independence from Britain.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana in his address called on Ghanaians to continue to seek progress for the nation.
According to him, “Our forebears were united and strong toward a common purpose of attaining independence. It did not matter which ethnic group or religious persuasion they related to, or their standing in society generally.
They recognized that colonialism did not collectively inure to their benefit. They were determined to end it, and indeed they did,” he explained
The president said the 4th Republic represents the longest period of stable constitutional governance in our history. “We should be united in the goal of protecting it, for it is only its free, democratic form of governance and the intelligent management of the economy that will bring the transformation Ghanaians wanted and deserve.
