From Seminary to Parliament: The story of Vincent Ekow Assafuah

The Member of Parliament for the Old Tafo constituency, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has shared a story of how he left the St. Hubert Seminary Senior High Seminary in the Ashanti Region to pursue other interests.

Speaking in a recent interview on Joy FM, he explained that his decision to leave the seminary after nearly three and a half years still hurts his mother.

"In the Catholic Church, we have 7 sacraments. There is priesthood and marriage. I will choose the marriage sacrament, Even today, my mother is not happy I didn't continue. My first year at KNUST, I struggled because they (my father and mother) were not ready to pay the fees.

"For you to be selected to go the seminary , you go there upon the recommendation of your parish priest. I went there at the time without my BECE.

"It was in my plan to become a priest. At the age of 10, I became a mass server. When it comes to Old Tafo, everyone knows me for the 'Stations of the Cross.' It is something that I liked. I never regret going to St Hubert Seminary. I was growing and I took the decision to become a Catholic priest at an early age," he explained.

Vincent Ekow Assafuah stated that he does not regret leaving the seminary, as it instilled in him some valuable lessons.

"I feel proud of myself to have been there. The biggest thing they taught as far as the seminary formation is concerned is gentility, You are trained and formed in such a way that you always have to attend to be pious. It taught me to be gentle," he added.

He reminisced, "Sundays were my favourite at the seminary. We ate palm nut soup and sang Latin songs."

Vincent Assafuah stated that initially, he planned to return to his alma mater to teach, however, he was posted to the Greater Accra Region for his National Service.

"I had plans to go back to my alma mater to go and teach. I had the best grade in elective maths and all the subjects at the time. I decided to go back there. Unfortunately, when the National Service postings were released, I had been posted to Accra," he noted.

Recounting some challenges he faced at the seminary, he stated "The people out there see you differently. They expect so much from you. It was the reason I lost many elections during my days as a student. The seminary has taken a bit of a toll on me."

He also advised the youth not to give up on their dreams.

"Everything I have gone through were planned by the Almighty God. It has toughened me. I know what it means to lose an election.

"At every point in time, God is preparing you, because those times, if you were looking for people who were going to excel in life at KNUST, no one was going to mention my name. But look at me today. I feel I have been prepared so much for everything that has happened. You can simply bid for your time, I believe it is better to prepare for a task no mater what happens, because If you are prepared, you can handle it," he added.

He acknowledged the invaluable support he has received from his constituents.

"I have tried so hard to better the lot of the people. Since 1992, all that they know is to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the blue party.

"Since 1992, they have supported the NPP, Anytime I get an opportunity to speak to them, I thank them for their love and support for the NPP. They always tell me that they are going to continue to love the party and support it. Ashanti Region, will always have a role to deicide who becomes the president," he noted.

JKB/AE

In the meantime, follow Ernestina Asante as she tours the Asokwa Constituency and speaks with MP Patricia Appiagyei in this episode of Campaign Trail on GhanaWeb TV: