Government Must build Quality Human Resource for its development Agenda

THE outgoing Managing Director of Barclays Bank, Mrs Margaret Mwanakatwe, has said if the country is to have a competitive advantage within the sub-region, then the government must be prepared to invest in building quality human capital for its development agenda.
“If the nation is to be pre-eminent a decade hence, if we are not only to compete but lead, then we must build quality human capital,” she stated.
Speaking at the 70th anniversary and awards night of the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC) in Accra at the weekend, Mrs Mwanakatwe said a quantum leap by Ghana towards development and growth required exceptional leadership with extraordinary insights.
Mrs Mwanakatwe, who was addressing past students of the school on the theme, “70 Years of excellent education — Building quality human capital for national development”, maintained that the cornerstone of the new era was education, adding that if the country was prepared to compete in a global world, then it must be prepared to build quality human capital throughout all second-cycle institutions.
“If the country is to have a competitive advantage within the comity of nations, it is the students we churn out from institutions such as PRESEC who will progress into the universities and ultimately help in making the attainment of these imperatives possible,” she advised.
“We lived in an age in which knowledge holds the key to our security, welfare and standard of living, an age in which technological leadership will determine who wins the next round of global competition and the jobs and profits that come from it,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said.
She noted that the government’s commitment to build quality human capital was fading, even though all parties, especially parents, were struggling to retain it.
She commended the founders of PRESEC for the foresight that led them to choose to invest in education and the development of the human capital of this country.
The National President of the PRESEC Old Students Association, Dr Henry Aduful, said members of the association were willing to give back to their alma mater what was due it as the school celebrated 70 years of success.
He pointed out that the school had produced many students who had made great contributions to the development of Ghana and the world as whole, adding that they, as a family of old students, were proud to be associated with a school like PRESEC.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Africanus K. Anane, said despite the physical hardship and lack of required facilities, very worthy traditions had been established for the school and that was what called for the celebration of 70 years of success.
He said the school had continued to win many national laurels over the years, including this anniversary year in which it was declared the national champions in the Information and Communications Technology competition, the National Maths and Science Quiz, a debate contest and, to crown it all, the Excellence Awards for the May/June 2007 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
“As a school, let us also remember the Herculean trials we have gone through for the past 70 years and give thanks to God for making us the recipient of His Grace and Mercy which has helped us to overcome our numerous trials and obstacles,” he prayed.