The Political Science Students Association (POSSA), under its Inter-Tertiary Connect Initiative, has honoured Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, President of Africa Growth Solution.

A citation presented in his honour read: “Your tremendous contribution towards making the first edition of the POSSA Inter-Tertiary Connect Initiative a grand success is immensely acknowledged and appreciated.”

It continued: “Your commitment to academic excellence and your dedication to shaping the future of Political Science students across various universities in Ghana have significantly enhanced the success of this historic event.”

The Association extended its sincerest appreciation and expressed that it was privileged to have shared the experience with him.

Mr Opong-Fosu, who is also a former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, stated that during their time as students and youth activists, “we were driven by ideological convictions such as nationalism and patriotism.”

He observed that, today, many student and youth leaders appear to be motivated by the pursuit of power, fame, privilege, and material gain.

Mr Opong-Fosu lamented that the bitter lessons of probity and accountability in public office seem to have been lost on the current generation, which he said accounts for the frequent reports of corruption and unethical conduct in the public service.

"The reset agenda cannot achieve its intended objectives unless there is a shift in mindset regarding leadership purpose and governance," he emphasised.

He cited countries such as China, South Korea, and Singapore — which were at similar developmental stages as Ghana at the time of independence — noting that their transformation into developed nations was driven by a shift in mindset: from poverty to wealth creation, and from dependency on external powers to self-reliance.