Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for the Ashanti Region’s Bosomtwe Constituency, has endorsed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) flagbearership.
Dr. Adutwum’s endorsement comes ahead of a special college election to choose five of the 10 aspirants for the ruling party’s presidential primary in November this year.
“I know Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He has a good heart and he laid his life for the party. Dr. Bawumia has stood for the hardworking people of Bosomtwe. But more importantly, he understands education and socio-economic development.
“He will be a better president,” the Education Minister stated at an endorsement meeting at Abountem, where he urged delegates in Bosomtwe to support the Vice President’s bid.
According to him, the name of Bosomtwe District has been restored and spread across the country due to the benevolence of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice.
“We have a lot of schools. I personally sent 150 students to university to study engineering and medicine. We hope that during the next ten years, our people will be working in various hospitals across the country.
“We have 30 engineers graduating from UMaT this year. When you voted for me as your MP, President Akufo-Addo appointed me as Deputy Minister of Education and later as substantive minister, with the support of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,” the Education Minister stated.
Dr. Adutwum praised Vice President Bawumia as “a different kind of a man” who intervened when things were difficult for him as Deputy Minister of Education.
“You are all aware of what happened to me when I was Deputy Minister. I had some tough times. I went to him and asked for his help, and he told me not to be sad because I had his support.
“This is something I will never forget. He shook my hand and drew me to the front of his office, telling me to be firm. Mr. Vice President, I will never forget the day you held my hand and told me you would support me. You also said I’d get through this and survive,” he claimed in the presence of Dr. Bawumia.
Dr. Adutwum, who was joined by Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah and NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako nicknamed Wontumi, said he opted to endorse the Vice President because Dr. Bawumia had demonstrated to be a “real human being.”
“I am the Minister of Education, and I am a member of cabinet. Some of the contestants were colleague cabinet ministers. I could have simply stated that I would play a neutral position, but I am forced to do so because of one individual, Dr. Bawumia.
“So today, I want to declare here that all those who love Dr. Adutwum across the length and breadth of Ghana, I whole-heartedly and fully endorse the flagbearership of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,” he announced.
“Wherever he goes, I am going to follow him. If you love Dr. Adutwum you love Dr. Bawumia. My people of Bosomtwe, follow me to push this man to the top and I believe that he will never forsake Bosomtwe.
“He will do what you are praying for. You have shown love to me. Show love to Dr. Bawumia too,” Dr. Adutwum intimated.
According to him, the job is not done yet and the delegates needed to work to get the work done, noting, “The years ahead of us, which are four, eight and 16, let us vote for the NPP.
“I respect all other contestants, but if you look at the work we are doing at my ministry such as the STEM programme, free SHS, it shows we are moving forward.
“We are heading towards the transformation that we need for our country. If we can continue as a government then there is no other person than Bawumia. He understands education and socio-economic development. He will be a better president,” he stressed.
By Ernest Kofi Adu
