Lepowura Jawula to head new Traditional Leadership Centre at UPSA

Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula

The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has announced the formal appointment of Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula to head of its newly established Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Centre for Traditional Leadership.

Known in private life as Alhaji Mohammed Nuru-Deen. Jawula, the former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health and retired Sports Administrator is expected to use his extensive administrative expertise and traditional leadership experience, as the Director of the Centre to transform the chieftaincy institution in Ghana.

In a short remark after the confirmation of his appointment, Lepowura Jawula said: “I am naturally highly enthused at the prospect of heading a newly minted department in a University like UPSA. As a business university, we have a rare opportunity now to open up the institution to a particular class of people who otherwise would be distanced from academia. I have nursed the ambition of linking the institution of chieftaincy with governance in my own small way. Little did I contemplate a fusion of the type about to unleash itself through the opportunity we are about to envisage under the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Centre for Traditional Leadership.”

“The name of the Centre tells a story, because Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, is an iconic figure in his own right and his mode of administration should be emulated by all and sundry, particularly personages within the realm of traditional authority,” Lepowura Jawula added.

Lepowura Jawula expects the Centre to mature fast enough to be of relevance “not only to chiefs in Ghana and beyond, but would bring in its trail practitioners in traditional precepts.”

“It's my expectation that within the coming year, the Centre would become the reference point for tradition and leadership in the West African sub-region and the Mecca of intellectuals in leadership coming out of Europe and North America,” he noted.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who is the permanent Chair of the Centre provided a seed-funding of One hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS100, 000.00) towards its establishment.

The Centre, which is the first of its kind in Ghana and the West African sub-region, has been designed to promote the research and community service function of the University. It will give regular and continuous training to the chieftaincy institution..

Training modules on leadership, governance, conflict management, negotiation and documentation skills to chiefs and other traditional leaders will be provided to enhance the capacity of traditional leaders to enable them lead and manage their resources effectively.

In addition, the Centre will create the platform for thorough research into chieftaincy and traditional leadership issues and host an innovative annual school for dialogue and case sharing amongst traditional leaders.