An Education and Development Consultant has called on Ghanaians to put aside political affiliations and support the National Education Forum, stating that the initiative is a collective effort to secure Ghana’s future, not a political battleground.

Dr Samuel Awuku speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, February 25, passionately urged citizens to embrace the forum as a unifying national agenda.

“I would beg Ghanaians that there’s a point in our history that we can all say this is the right time for us to do things like this, and forget about any political ideology which is destroying us,” he stated.

Dr Awuku highlighted the dangers of excessive politicisation in Ghana’s discourse, noting that constructive ideas are often overshadowed by partisan interpretations.

“In a paper I wrote some time ago, I talked about political identity and political beliefs, and how Ghana will be so politicised such that if you make a point it is linked to a political party,” he lamented.

Drawing on his extensive experience in education reform, including his work since 2013 both locally and abroad, Dr. Awuku stressed that technical expertise should rise above politics.

“As a technical person, I remain a technical person. We all have to bear that in mind—that there’s a point in time that we all have to roll up our sleeves and say Ghana first, and make sure that what is needed to be done for Ghana to move forward, we do it,” he said.

Reflecting on his decision to join the National Education Forum committee, he described it as an opportunity to make a real difference.

“When I had a call to join this committee, I said wow, it’s an opportunity to make a difference. And people who know me very well, I know other people in the committee - you realise that everybody is committed to making this happen. There is no political affiliation, no political agenda. It is about Ghana,” Dr Awuku emphasized.

He praised President John Mahama’s call for inclusivity during the forum’s launch, noting the President’s clear message: “Everybody come on board. No single person should politicise this. It must be a national agenda,” Dr. Awuku reiterated.

Sharing a personal anecdote, Dr Awuku recalled his involvement in the 2017 pre-tertiary curriculum reform, which was initially met with political scepticism.

“A couple of days after I was invited to support the reform, some people went and reported to the then Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, that he’s brought an NDC person,” he recounted.

However, the Minister’s response left a lasting impression.

“He asked them, ‘In the schools, the children there, do they wear any political jersey or identity?’ These are children of Ghana, who need to be developed to have the best chances in life, and contribute to national development,” Dr Awuku quoted.

He urged all Ghanaians to adopt the perspective, stating that education should transcend politics.

“The day we all realise that when it comes to education, there’s nothing like politics, Ghana will move forward,” he concluded.

Dr Awuku’s remarks come at a critical time as the nation seeks to build consensus around education reforms that will shape the country’s future.

His plea is clear: “This is Ghana’s moment. Let’s do it together.”