Former President John Agyekum Kufour has advised the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Ghana (OXCAM), an association of Ghanaian alumni of Oxford and Cambridge universities, to be solution-oriented and promote service leadership.
According to him, the two qualities were critical in expediting the economic and social transformation of the country.
In the absence of leaders with such qualities, he said, Ghana could lag behind in tackling the many economic and social challenges that threaten livelihoods and drive others into poverty.
He was speaking at Peduase near Aburi yesterday when the leadership of OXCAM paid a courtesy call on him.
The visit formed part of the 10th anniversary pre-launch event of the society which was set up for alumni to network among themselves and promote worthy social causes in Ghanaian communities.
Lauding the objectives of the association, former President Kufour, who is a patron of the society, said, it was important that members build the required networks to be able to work together and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development agenda.
Currently, he explained, that the world systems was skewed towards people who have the right networks to achieve specific goals, hence the need for members to be fully active in the doings of the association.
He noted that the two prestigious universities have, for years, contributed to the country’s development by fine-tuning and preparing both past and present Ghanaians including Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia for leadership and roles service.
Mr Kufour reiterated the need for alumni of Oxford and Cambridge universities to return to Ghana after their studies and take up roles in the country to drive effective service delivery and influence the adaptation of modern leadership skills into public service.
That, he said, was the only way to create the right and sustainable environment for economic and social transformation.
The former President charged the leadership of the society to design a strategy to attract all Ghanaian alumni of the two universities into the group for easy access to their individual skills and expertise.
Touting the contributions of the two universities in the United Kingdom (UK) political landscape, Mr Kufour urged Ghanaian universities to not only exist to nurture students academically but should provide professional and leadership guidance.
“Our universities can learn a lot from Oxford and Cambridge. In the last decade or two, about 70 per cent of UK prime ministers were all trained in Oxford. This is a testament to the University’s focus on improving public service.
Our universities can also guide students in delivering service that lift the rest of society up. Train the students to be able to contribute to inclusive societal growth,” he added.
Interim Chairperson of OXCAM, Dr Emefa Takyi-Amoako, expressed gratitude to the former President for his support and contributions to the society and Ghana’s development.
“As an Oxford alumnus, we are proud to have you as our patron. Connection is why this society is established and why we are here today. The ability to feel connected for mutual benefit and for the benefit of others is central to our mission,” she noted.
The anniversary, she said, would seek to reignite the society and create a vibrant presence to foster broader engagement of the alumni to enable the achievement of the society’s objectives.
Dr Takyi-Amoako invited all alumni to come on board, with their ideas and contributions to ensure an active and representative society during the celebration of the anniversary.
FROM CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS, PEDUASE
