When Ghana’s Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, rode into the historic English town of Buckingham with his wife, Samira Bawumia, on Friday, a grateful alma mater welcomed him back home like ancient Romans did their conquering heroes.
On the invitation of the top management of the University of Buckingham (UoB), Dr Bawumia was returning to the small city of Buckingham ––– three decades after he had graduated ––– to address a keen audience of graduating students, their families, invited guests well as staff of UoB as “Inspirational Speaker.”
“We are deeply honoured to have [you] here with us as our inspirational speaker; not the least because you are perhaps our most distinguished ever alumnus,” the Vice-President’s host, Sir Anthony Seldon, who is the Vice-Chancellor of UoB, told Dr Bawumia in front of a visibly excited audience attending the University’s 2019 graduation ceremony.
Sir Seldon, an influential and respected British historian, summed up the significance of Dr Bawumia in these words: “I tell you… what an honour… (he) is the Vice President of one of the great countries of Africa and one of the great countries in the world. We are going to hear a lot more of you and your country in the years to come.”
“We are so so proud to have you back at your alma mater,” Sir Seldon further stated to the man who graduated from UoB in 1987 with a First Class degree in Economics ––– a feat roundly repeated at Friday’s graduation ceremony by Kwasi Nyame-Baafi, a Ghanaian student who has since started studies for PhD in economics at the UoB.
According to Sir Seldon, “We are very much a university grounded on reverence and respect for everybody… from every religious tradition… from every cultural tradition… it’s a wonderful family to be a part of.”
When the time came for Dr Bawumia to address his audience, “he did not,” as one parent put it “disappoint”. He calmly reached deep into the depths of his inspirational lexicon to dig up words that appropriately fired up the eager audience “in a manner suitable for the ceremony”.
“The fear of failing should not hold you back from pursuing dreams especially if the march forward is for the public good,” the Vice-President said in the full-to-capacity Buckingham Parish Church building where the colourful graduation ceremony took place.
“It is difficult to acknowledge fear but hidden somewhere in you are the jewels of courage and perseverance,” he added.
“As you walk forward in life from here, no matter the area of study, all of you have acquired a toolbox of life; some heavier than others, but full of tools to define your sense of purpose in life. Tools that help you determine your playgrounds and battlegrounds.”
He continued, “Throughout history, men and women who have changed the world for better possess some simple virtues… intelligence, hard work, humility, courage, perseverance and love for humanity. My word to you [is] banish fear, trust yourself, be bold, be a truth seeker and care for humanity and, today, be proud of yourselves.”
“Graduation is always wonderful,” Dr Bawumia told the new graduates from the University, which is a global community made up of students from at least 81 different nations worldwide. “You are beginning a life of self-discovery. Some of you have begun the journey already and may have discovered a bit of the road ahead of themselves.”
“As with anything you learn or build, the foundation is important,” he stated, emphasising that “Buckingham University provided me with a strong foundation; in fact, the best foundation that I could have ever wished for.”
Dr Bawumia made it clear that he was not surprised by the fact that UoB has been ranked consistently as “the top university in the country” for teaching quality and student experience, adding that “[during] my time here you saw that materialise.”
Recent figures highlight the UoB’s impact in the UK, a country commonly regarded as the favourite destination for students in pursuit of higher education. For instance, the 2018 rankings of UK universities by the Guardian put the UoB among the top 20 in the country. The fine details proudly feature on the UoB’s official website ––– “Accounting and Finance, (5th), Business, Management and Marking (6th), Psychology, (8th), English and Creative Writing, (9th) and is in the top 20 for Law and Economics.”
Recalling the names of some of his tutors during his time at the University, Dr Bawumia said, “I was blessed with some of the best lecturers and researchers in the world in my area of studies – Economics.”
In his words, “The foundation I gained from Buckingham has stood the rest of time academically and professionally.” Dr Bawumia added that he came to “appreciate” the foundation he got at UoB “the more when I moved on to graduate school at Oxford and later on to Simon Fraser University in Canada.”
Without mincing words, he declared: “The foundation from Buckingham continues to serve me well as an academic, as a central banker, as an economist and more recently as a politician.”
Turning to the need for the graduates to maintain and deepen the networks they built during their days at the school, the Ghanaian Vice President said: “The friendships that you have made here… Please try and keep them. They are very very valuable.” He labelled such friendships as “a valuable network, and there is no price you can put on it” and “please make good use of it.”
Top Ghanaian officials accompanied Dr Bawumia and the Second Lady, Samira, during the visit. They included including Papa Owusu Ankomah, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Augustine Blay, Executive Secretary to the Vice President, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Chief Executive of the State Enterprises Commission (SEC), Dr Gideon Boako, Spokesperson to the Vice President, and Frank Agyei-Twum, Press Secretary to the Vice-President amongst others.
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By: Richard Sky | citinewsroom.com | Ghana