Deputy Education Minister Dr Clement Apaak has supported plans for the government to introduce a new bill in Parliament to rename the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) and other public universities changed during the Akufo-Addo administration.
The Builsa South Member of Parliament indicated that the decision by the former president to rename the public universities was a partisan political action.
He stated that this must be reversed and it was commendable that the education minister has given the indication to do so.
Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu has announced plans by the government to introduce a new bill in Parliament to rename the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) and other public universities changed during the Akufo-Addo administration.
He disclosed this at the inauguration of the Governing Council of the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences.
The minister revealed that he will file the bill after extensive consultations with key stakeholders.
The move would be in fulfilment of the promise by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 campaign period.
It was in response to the deacon by the Akufo-Addo-led administration to change the names of several universities from their original ones to some person believed to be former leaders or founders of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He explained that the intention was not to demean the contributions of the personalities after whom President Akufo-Addo named the institutions but to reflect on the integrity of the universities.
“The government has taken a decision to review the names of some of the universities, and therefore, I will be presenting a bill to Parliament after a committee that I will be putting in place reviews it.”
“It is not to diminish the contribution of any individual, particularly names that were conferred on those institutions, but to reaffirm the foundational ethos and historical identities of our tertiary institutions. The decision is not taken lightly. We’ve had extensive consultations with the academic community and stakeholders, traditional leaders, alumni associations, students, and civil society.”
Reacting to this, Dr Apaak in his remarks said the ruling government made a pledge to reverse the names to their original known ones.
“Rightly so. We made it clear that the partisan cum clan induced renaming of public institutions of higher learning will be reversed, and that is exactly what we will do”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
