The government is considering reverting to the original names of universities that were changed under the previous government.

Currently, engagements are ongoing with traditional authorities, academia, alumni, students, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders to that effect.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who announced this at the inauguration of a 19-member Governing Council of the Dr Abdulai Salifu Technical University in Accra, chaired by Mandori Wura Alhaji Seidu Iddi, said he would introduce a new bill before Parliament that would seek to rename some public universities.

“There is a policy shift, there will be changes in the names of the universities that were done. It is not to fail to recognise the contribution of any individuals or undermine the legacy of any statesman or diminish their contributions to our national effort,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu, however, said that those who truly deserved national honours would still keep their honours.  

For instance, he said that Dr Abdulai Salifu Technical University would revert to Tamale Technical University. While others like the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Science (CKT-UTAS), the Simon Diedoung Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SSD-UBIDS) and the Ephraim Amu Technical University would all be renamed.

Harmony

The minister urged the council to find solution to the numerous conflicts on the Tamale Technical University campus.

He said individuals and stakeholder differences had all manifested; “the university is noted as an institution with the most strikes”.

The minister recalled that the university, which was formerly known as T-Poly, was among the most attractive and sought after polytechnic in the country, and therefore, urged the council to reposition the institution to take its pride of place as an institution of excellence, with special focus on engineering, technology and vocational education.

24-Hour Economy

He said the President’s 24-hour economy would only succeed if institutions of learning such as Tamale Technical University produced the entrepreneurial class that would not be dependent on the public sector but could generate businesses of their own.

The minister said that if the nation was to succeed in addressing its growing unemployment crisis, dealing with the matter of employability and suitability of persons for various offices, institutions of learning like the technical universities had a crucial role to play.

Mr Iddrisu further said that vocational education was dear to the Ministry of Education, adding, “I am working assiduously to get the government of President Mahama to establish a technical vocational education fund”.

He acknowledged that the 24-hour economy should be private sector-led, with the government providing an enabling environment and the incentives that were needed for the sector to triumph.

“We will give you some priority attention with respect to your infrastructure.

This year, the GETFund is also making available some seed money for the new universities that were established,” Mr Iddrisu said.

Members

Other members include the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bashiru Imoro Ibn Saeed; three nominees by the President — Yahaya Al-Hassan Seini, Dr Fatimah Von Abubakari and Hajia Rahamat Abdul-Moomin.

Others are a representative of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Saaka Sayuti; a representative of the Commission for Technical and Vocation Education and Training, Dr Peter Boahin, and a representative of the Association of Ghana Industries, Salma Abdulai; a representative of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools, Tsri Felix Kwame; two representatives of the Convocation, one of whom is a non-teaching staff, Dr Abdul-Rahaman Haadi and Zakaria Mutawakilu Mohammed respectively; a representative of the teaching staff association, Dr Dr Abdul Malik; a representative of the senior staff association, Salifu Sulley Zakaria, and a representative of the junior staff association, Siedu Safianu.

The rest are a representative of the undergraduate students of the technical university, Asigri Solomon; a representative of the graduate students of technical university, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiwu Inusah; a representative of the alumni of the technical university, Dr Jamal Deen Kukurah; a representative of the Ghana Employers Association, Cosmos Alhassan, and a representative of the Association of Principals of Technical Institutes, Mariama Mahama.

Appreciation

The Mandori Wura, Alhaji Iddi, thanked the President for the trust reposed in them and gave an assurance that they would work to justify the trust reposed in them.

He appealed to the government to provide some incentives to industries that accepted students for internships to encourage more companies to come on board.

SOURCE: GRAPHICONLINE