Former Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has outlined what he describes as his extensive investment in education across the Northern Region, insisting that his commitment to educational development predates his political career.
Speaking in an interview with Blakk Rasta, Dr. Amin Adam said education remains one of the key pillars of his development agenda, explaining that his contributions have gone beyond his Karaga constituency to benefit communities across the region.
According to him, his educational projects include classroom blocks at Northern School of Business (NOBISCO), Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO), Markaziyya Islamic School in Zogbeli, Pishigu Senior High School, and Nyong Technical Institute, as well as a dormitory for Ambariyya Islamic Institute in Tamale. He also highlighted the Karaga STEM College of Education, which has stalled due to funding challenges.
He noted that Pishigu Senior High School and Nyong Technical Institute were not government-funded projects, explaining that he secured financial support from private companies to construct them. He added that he has also established scholarship schemes for students in Karaga, Aboabo, Zogbeli, and for journalists in Tamale.
“Both Pishigu Senior High School and Nyong Technical Institute were not built by the government.” I sourced financial support from companies to build them. I have also set up scholarship schemes for students in Karaga, Aboabo where I grew up, Zogbeli, and for journalists in Tamale,” he said in an interview
Dr. Amin Adam further disclosed that he mobilised financial support from private companies to establish Pishigu Senior High School and Nyong Technical Institute, stressing that the two institutions were not built by the government.
In addition to infrastructure development, he said he has established scholarship schemes for students in Karaga, Aboabo, Zogbeli, and even journalists in Tamale.
According to the former Finance Minister, the Karaga STEM College of Education would have been Ghana’s first STEM College of Education dedicated to training STEM teachers if funding had not become a challenge.
Dr. Amin Adam made the remarks while responding to criticism surrounding the construction of the ultra-modern 6,000-capacity Masjid Al-Noor “The Light” mosque, which has an additional outdoor prayer space accommodating about 4,000 worshippers, making it one of the largest Islamic prayer centres in Ghana.
The project has attracted mixed reactions since its commissioning, with some critics arguing that the resources could have been channelled into factories or other job-creating initiatives for the youth.
Responding to the criticism, Dr. Amin Adam maintained that the mosque serves broader community development purposes beyond worship.
He explained that the facility also includes a school and a research centre, adding that he has always been passionate about Islamic education long before entering politics.
“The mosque also has a school and a research centre. I have always been an Islamic educationist long before I went into politics, so you don’t abandon your faith just because you are a politician. We seek salvation and do charity so God will continue to favour us,” he said.
He also expressed concern over what he described as the erosion of moral and religious values among young people, stressing the importance of providing ethical and religious education from an early age.
“Our society is degenerating as values are lost, and the youth are engaging in behaviours contrary to Islamic teachings. You need to catch them young to teach them the values acceptable to society and our religion,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to community development, Dr. Amin Adam dismissed claims that he has focused solely on the mosque project, insisting that he has invested heavily in educational infrastructure and other development initiatives across the Northern Region.
He expressed confidence that the mosque would help nurture responsible future generations through education, ethics and religious teachings.
“I am interested in the impact this project will make in our community so the children we raise can grow to become responsible people in society,” he added.
