A Deputy Minister for Education, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, has weighed in on the Dutch passport over Ghanaian PhD brouhaha, describing the situation as unfortunate. 

He lamented the perception by some Ghanaians that a Dutch passport holds more value than a Ghanaian PhD.

Speaking at the launch of the University of Ghana’s five-year strategic plan, Rev Fordjour, who is also the Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency in the Central Region, expressed his concerns over the saga that erupted on social media a couple of weeks ago. 

He highlighted the importance of higher education in national development, citing that Mauritius has the highest gross tertiary education enrollment ratio in Africa at 40%, while Ghana stands at approximately 23%, with other countries ranging between 10% and 5%.

“To transform Africa, we need the youth to take particular interest in acquiring tertiary education,” he highlighted. 

Mr Fordjour urged the youth to focus on obtaining PhDs and engage in research to transform the nation. 

He argued that advancing education is crucial for Ghana's progress and development.

Weeks ago, John Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also touched on the subject. 

Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Christian Service University in Kumasi, Mr Mahama stated that there is no basis for such a comparison and that the discussion should not continue.

Mr Mahama attributed the debate to economic mismanagement by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. 

He emphasised that the debate reflects a significant loss of confidence and hope in Ghana’s future, pointing to corruption and the wastage of national resources as contributing factors.

“There’s widespread despair and anguish amongst our people leading to an active debate on social media about whether securing a foreign passport to do a menial job in Europe is better than holding a PhD in Ghana. It’s the adversity into which our nation has been plunged; otherwise, there’s no basis for comparison between a Visa and a PhD,” Mr Mahama stated.