A former Education Minister, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has weighed in on the ongoing public debate over the renaming of some public universities, insisting that the process should not descend into pettiness.
He argued that those spearheading the changes are attempting to rewrite Ghana’s history to suit personal interests.
Parliament recently approved legislation amending the names of several public universities to strengthen institutional identity and enhance global competitiveness.
Under the new law:
- C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences will now be known as University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo.
- Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies will become University of Business and Integrated Development Studies.
- Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development will be renamed University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO speaking at the 8th Opemsuo Lecture organised by the Ashanti Professionals Club in Kumasi, questioned why Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has remained unchanged while universities named after notable individuals are being renamed.
He urged intellectuals to speak out, saying, “We woke up to news about the renaming of some public universities, yet KNUST remains unchanged. It is very difficult to understand the motive behind this, as though some people want to rewrite Ghana’s history starting from 1979 — and our intellectuals are silent on the matter.
“I served as Minister of Education, and the original name, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, was established by Act 80 enacted by the CPP Government, which named the university after Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. If KNUST can bear his name, then why can’t others who have contributed to the establishment of universities also be honoured?”
