Withdraw The Public Universities Bill, 2019 Immediately

The NDC PROFESSIONALS FORUM GHANA (PROFORUM GH) calls on President Akufo-Addo to withdraw with immediate effect the Public Universities draft Bill 2019 currently before parliament. That bill represents a clear abuse of Executive powers of State and an assault on Academic Freedom which has been enjoyed since the beginning of the 4th republic.

The Bill which has been sent to Parliament seeks to restructure the various Academic Boards of the public universities in Ghana.

We have observed with grave concern the gradual attempts by the NPP Government to destroy our educational system from the Junior High School to the University level.

In recent times, the government has thrown away the time tested practices and conventions of Academia.

We observed with dismay and disappointment the attempted dismissal of the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the dismissal of Prof. Avoke, Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) which has resulted in utter confusion and the disruption of the academic calendar at great cost and inconvenience to both students and the University community.

We had hoped that the correct position of law taken by the Asantehene in the KNUST case would have served as a timeless precedent for public university administration and academic freedom in Ghana to be cherished and upheld for the benefit of current and future generations.

As professionals we are very much disappointed at the conduct of managers of our educational system that appears to suggest that they are on a sacred mission to destroy the academic freedoms that exist in our public universities and all universities world-wide.

We call on the President to withdraw this obnoxious bill immediately as there is no constitutional or academic basis to merit such unwarranted acidic attacks on academic freedom in Ghana.

We are extremely thankful and salute our Gallant Founder President Rawlings for his bold and principled position to prohibit his name from being desecrated and associated with this humongous scandal of the highest order.

We recall that, the establishment of the University of Development Studies was funded by President Rawlings with a cash award he won during his time as the President of Ghana.

However, in a most unpatriotic manner, the NPP vehemently resisted all attempts by the Mills Administration to name UDS after President Rawlings.

So what has changed now?

Why is the NPP now seeking to rename UDS after President Rawlings if this is not for cheap political short term gains, what is it?

We in the NDC PROFESSIONALS FORUM will join all well meaning Ghanaians to resist any such attempt to destroy our educational sector any further.

We shall rise to resist any action of academic oppression in our motherland.

God Bless our homeland Ghana.

Signed :

Ambassador Sam Pee Yalley

President

NDC professionals Forum - Ghana