Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has admonished the youth who intend to join politics to first establish themselves in their respective career paths, ABC News can report.
Dr. Osei Adutwum is of the view that people who first establish and distinguish themselves in their respective careers before joining national politics stand a better chance of using politics as a means of effecting positive change in the society.
Speaking to a gathering of some faculty members and students of the University of Cape Coast, the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwi in the Ashanti Region advised that it is about time the youth change their perception about politics. He contended that politics should be seen as a tool to transform the larger society and not an avenue to serve any self-parochial interest.
Citing an example with himself, Dr. Adutwum disclosed that he has always loved to be in politics not because of the material gains but as a means to transform the larger society through transforming education.
Giving his educational and career background, he disclosed that having studied education, taught and led organizations for many years, he felt it was time to impact the larger society through politics using his educational and career orientations.
He, therefore, advised the youth to make the development of their career paths their first priority before jumping into politics. He argues that by so doing, the transformation of the Ghanaian society will be realized.
“To me what I know and do is not because I am a deputy minister. I have a background in education, taught for some time, developed schools for some time and led organizations for some time. So everything I like to do is about education. I see politics as an opportunity to transform education. That is what really influenced my decision to come into politics. I always wanted to be a politician not because I wanted to be a politician but because I felt strongly that if we do not transform our educational system, the transformation of our nation will elude us”, Dr. Adutwum disclosed.
He continued that “the political establishment may not take you to what you say much so I wanted to be part so that I will be close to the source of power and I will be able to talk about what we need to transform ourselves as a nation and that is why I love politics because it gives me something that is very different and unique.”
“So young men and women if you are thinking politics, think about career first. And walk into politics knowing you have something to contribute to your country. Do not see politics as an end in itself but as a means to an end. That end of the socio-economic transformation of Ghana is the reason why you should be thinking about politics,” he emphasized.
Source: ABCNewsgh.com