The Ghanaian Minaret

Accra: The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has become the latest flagbearer of a political party to promise the establishment of Islamic Colleges of Education for Islamic and Arabic studies in Ghana.

This promise comes 6 months after John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), made a similar promise when he addressed Muslims at the 63rd Annual National Conference of the Ghana Muslim Mission.

“It is the intention of the next NDC administration to spearhead the establishment of the second public Islamic College of Education in the country, in sha Allah!” he said at the conference in Kumasi on Friday, December 29, 2023.

It was at the same event that the NDC flagbearer promised to give Muslims in the country an additional holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr.

He added that “During my tenure as president, we adopted the Al-Farouk Islamic College of Education into the public stream, and we proceeded to upgrade its facilities with at least seven major infrastructural projects. Unfortunately, following my departure from office, I am sad to say that all these structures have come to a standstill.”

While addressing some Imams in Sunyani during his campaign tour of the Bono Region, Dr. Bawumia also outlined his plan for establishing three Islamic colleges of education across different geographic regions: the northern, middle, and coastal belts.

“What we want to do is build Islamic colleges of education. That is what we want to focus on with the next face of the Zongo Development Fund. If we get one in the north and one in the middle and coastal belts.

“We have helped Ghana Muslim’s mission to get accreditation for the College of Education at Beposo. So, I also want to help build at least three colleges of education to help Arabic education in Ghana.”.

He said the funding of over 200 projects in the Zongo communities across the country through the Zongo Development Fund was a testament to the commitment of the NPP towards the Muslim community.

He has therefore urged the Muslim leaders to help him achieve his vision of becoming a leader for all.

“I want to become president for all to benefit. At first, those of us from the North thought we had been sidelined in the country’s governance. That’s why, when I became Vice President, I advocated for the Zongo Development Fund.

“My election as flagbearer of the NPP is historic. It has never happened in Ghana. Many people doubted that a Muslim could be a presidential candidate, but I said it was possible,” he said.