Retired Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng, founder of the defunct UT Bank, has expressed concern that the very environment he is preparing young leaders to transform may eventually overwhelm them.
Speaking at the graduation and induction ceremony of the PK Amoabeng Scholars, where 19 scholars completed the programme and another 19 were inducted, he warned that the toxic nature of the broader system threatens to erode the values of even the most promising young leaders.
“Now they are fresh. They are ready to change the world. But then we throw them back into the toxic environment, and if there are 20 of them, I will pray hard that not more than 10 are changed by the system,” Amoabeng said.
He described the initiative as a race to build a strong, ethical leadership base capable of resisting negative societal influences.
“The idea is if we have more funding, we can form an academy and throw in a lot of these hopeful young people so the system cannot eat most of them up,” he explained.
The guest speaker, Nana Sam Agyensaim VI, offered a vivid example of the discipline and endurance required for effective leadership.
He shared how he once worked two demanding jobs in London—an overnight 12-hour security shift followed by a day job at Harrods—for 18 months to establish himself.
His experience highlighted the resilience the foundation seeks to instil in its scholars.
Speaking on behalf of the graduands, Gloria Ansah pledged their commitment to redefining leadership.
“We promise to do better as a generation. You can count on us to not simply walk a path already built, but to forge our own,” she said.
The PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation is undertaking what it describes as a rescue mission—deliberately identifying promising young people and pulling them from the jaws of a system that threatens to consume them.
It equips them with strong values and hopes that enough will endure to build a legacy capable of transforming the narrative for Ghana and Africa.
