Aspiring New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, says his mission to lead Ghana is rooted in a bold plan to eradicate poverty rather than simply reduce it.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on September 16, the former Education Minister said, “I want to focus on eradicating poverty, which Lyndon Johnson tackled in 1965.
“The Southern United States was not as prosperous as the North, so he declared war against poverty. And then what he did was to create what was called the Great Society, making sure we lifted those who are so poor, so that there is some intervention, creating opportunity for the middle class.”
He argued that Ghana must take deliberate steps to build a strong middle class if it is serious about tackling poverty.
According to him, “You see, if we don’t begin to talk about the Ghanaian middle class, and how we create it? How do you provide quality service to really build a middle class, because you cannot build a middle class without savings?”
Dr Adutwum pointed out that the financial strain on families seeking quality education for their children undermines efforts to grow the middle class.
The Bosomtwe MP stressed that “if the emerging middle class of Ghana have to spend their fortune educating their children through private schools, the challenge you’re going to have is that they have nothing left to save. So when you talk about private retirement options, it doesn’t exist.”
Highlighting the burden families face, he noted, “Eleven years, if you do two years of kg all the way to junior high, people are paying, and they pay to educate their children.
“That is fine, but why should 30% of our students only find suitable opportunities for quality education in private schools?”
Dr Adutwum’s call places education at the heart of his proposed war on poverty.
He believes that addressing the barriers to quality education will lay the foundation for a stronger middle class, savings culture, and economic security for future generations.