body-container-line-1
31.07.2008 General News

Kofi Annan is new Chancellor of Legon… As Chief Justice, Ala Adjetey and others get honorary degrees

31.07.2008 LISTEN
By Phyllis D. Osabutey & Ken Ward - Ghanaian Chronicle

THE UNIVERSITY of Ghana (UG) Council has appointed the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Kofi Annan, as the new Chancellor of the University, succeeding Nana Wereko Ampem II, who died three years ago. He thus becomes the highest ranking person of the university, and takes precedence over all members of the institution, including the University Council.

He would preside over all functions, and activities of the school, and confer honorary degrees among others.

Announcing the appointment to members of the media, in Accra on Wednesday, the Chairman of the University Council, Mr. Anthony Oteng-Gyasi, said H. E. Kofi Annan graciously consented to the appointment Oteng-Gyasi said, “We are proud that this distinguished son of Ghana deems it proper to lend his name to the University of our Country.”

Adding, “we trust that having him, would add greater credibility to the university, and as an institution, we will do him proud in all our activities.

We invite the country at large, to accept his appointment and rejoice with us.”

According to him, the President of Ghana, at any given time, was the Chancellor of the university for a long time, until the 1992 Constitution made it clear that the President should not be the Chancellor of any university, and by this, Nana Ampem became the first Chancellor of UG till his death, in November 2005.

He said the formal investiture of the new Chancellor, would be held at a special congregation on Monday, August 11, 2008, at the Great Hall of the University, to climax the University's sixtieth anniversary, and as such, the school considered H.E Annan's appointment a special gift. In addition to his investiture, twelve distinguished personalities, Ghanaians and foreigners, would be honoured with honorary degrees, under six different categories.

Under the Distinguished Scholarship category, Lawrence A. Boadi, Gordon R. Woodman and Selena Axelrod Winsnes, would be awarded, while Raymond B. Bening would receive the Contribution to Tertiary Education.

Contribution to Industry would be given to Kwabena Adjei, and for Alumni whom the University is especially proud, the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Mrs. Georgina Wood, Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Paul Acquah would also be awarded.

Joseph Henry Mensah, Robert Lee, the late Peter Ala Adjetey, Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu and Docia Naki Kisseih, would receive the Distinguished Contribution to Public Service, while Mary Robin, Paul Boateng and James D. Wolfensohn, would receive the Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lectures.

Also, Mr. Oteng-Gyasi noted that the Council had studied, in great detail, the recommendations of the Visitation Panel that was invited by the university, to look at their systems and make recommendations, which would help improve the school of higher learning.

As such, the Council said it had accepted most of the recommendations, modified some, and rejected a few, saying, many of the problems pointed out by the Visitation Panel, were problems the Council was aware of, and working to correct.

In addition, a Visitation Report Implementation Committee has been constituted, chaired by the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Kwesi Yankah, which would be inaugurated soon, to see to the implementation of the recommendations.

Further, the Council members conducted members of the media, round developmental projects under construction in the school, including a central science laboratory, new physics laboratory, big lecture complex, funded by the Ghana Commercial Bank, new complex for the Performing Arts, and student accommodation facilities.

The Chairman of the University Council noted that this would improve facilities of the school, and especially the accommodation facilities would house about seven thousand (7,000) students, to reduce the pressure on the traditional halls of residence.

According to him, one of the residential facilities was 90% complete, but would not be available for use for the first semester of the 2008/2009 academic year, and in addition, lands have been given to private developers, who would construct hostels to provide about 15,000 students with accommodation.

body-container-line