Omane Boamah urges youth to persevere, recounts dramatic admission struggle at POJOSS

Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah has revealed a long-hidden struggle from his childhood—how he nearly missed out on a place at Pope John Senior High School due to what he described as an “admission conspiracy.”

Speaking at the school’s 67th Anniversary and Speech & Prize Giving Day on Saturday, Dr. Boamah said his mother fought tirelessly to reverse what appeared to be a plot to swap his place at POJOSS with another applicant.

“Someone tried to take my place. My mother went back and forth between POJOSS and SECTECH three times in one day until she found my results card buried in a box,” he narrated emotionally. “That’s how my journey here began.”

He used the story as a powerful metaphor for perseverance and parental sacrifice, urging students to honour their families by fighting to build dignified lives and serve others.

Dr. Boamah also took the opportunity to share his broader vision for education and youth empowerment, promoting the government’s “One Million Coders” initiative to arm Ghanaian students with digital tools to compete globally.

“The future is not waiting. It’s already here,” he told students, urging them to be agents of change in areas ranging from climate and health to education and governance.

Dr. Boamah also called on alumni to support the school’s infrastructure, and on parents to instil discipline at home, emphasising that POJOSS admissions must be earned, not inherited.

Hope, Service and Digital Future

Dr. Boamah recounted his own journey from Form 1B and Dormitory 3 at House 1 to global stages such as the United Nations and the London School of Economics and credited the school’s discipline and values with shaping his trajectory and underscored the importance of giving back.

“This school shaped my story,” he said. “Ahead of this anniversary, we asphalted the school’s roads—symbolic of filling the potholes in our adventurous lives.”

He challenged students to embrace resilience, innovation, and service, and to honour the sacrifices made by parents and teachers. “Your future is calling. Answer it with courage,” he urged.

Pointing to the “One Million Coders” programme, which he said is a bold initiative to prepare the nation’s youth for the digital economy— Dr. Boamah also encouraged students to see coding, AI, and data literacy not as luxuries, but as survival skills.

“Digital skills are the new passport—not just to travel, but to thrive,” he declared.

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