John Dramani Mahama, the leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pledged that if the NDC wins power in 2025, public universities that were renamed by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration will have their original names restored.
Mahama emphasized that the NPP had not founded any new colleges during its tenure in office, accusing President Akufo-Addo and his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), of simply renaming universities built by the NDC.
As a result, we will reinstate the original names, and the names they gave them will be applied to important university infrastructure.
“We’ll include more people and give their names to the university infrastructure.” That is the university’s primary mission, though, if it is the University for Development Studies. “During his ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ tour in the Upper East Region’s Zuarungu, he announced that the institution would be named the University for Development Studies.
He continued by saying that Akufo-Addo has also been renaming the university in honor of NPP figures.
Below is a list of public universities that President Akufo-Addo has renamed so that you can determine whether the former president’s statements are accurate.
UDS Navrongo, the University of Development Studies,
The NDC government, under by Jerry John Rawlings, founded the University of Development Studies (UDS), which has multiple campuses spread throughout Ghana’s northern regions.
The Upper East Region’s Navrongo campus of the University of Development Sciences was renamed as CK Tedam University for Technical and Applied Sciences by President Akufo-Addo.
At the late CK Tedam’s funeral, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party, he declared the name change.
He claims that the adjustments are to honor the previous NPP Council of Elders Chairman and to establish campus autonomy.
Development Studies University, Washington
The Upper West Region’s UDS campus in Wa was renamed Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies by Nana Akufo-Addo.
The University has renamed itself in honor of Simon Diedong Dombo, a politician, educator, and king from Ghana who was a member of the United Party (UP) lineage, which is where the New Patriotic Party originated.
During the First Republic of Ghana, Simon Dombo served as a member of parliament. The government claims that the decision will establish the institution of Development Studies (UDS) campus in Wa as a full-fledged institution.
Ho-Technical University
Akufo-Addo also changed the name of the Ho Technical University (HTU), formerly known as Ho Polytechnic, to the Ephraim Amu Technical University.
At the university’s 50th anniversary celebration’s grand durbar, President Akufo-Addo declared the name change.
UENR stands for University of Energy and Natural Resources.
Akufo-Addo renamed the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Sunyani in the Bono Region in honor of the late Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia, the Prime Minister of the Second Republic.
The president argues that Dr. K.A. Busia is a distinguished native of the area, which is why the institution was named in his honor.
The late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills’ administration created UENR on December 31, 2011, under Act 830, 2011 of the Ghanaian Parliament.
UEW Kumasi is the University of Education, Winneba, Kumasi Campus.
The University of Education, Winneba campus in Kumasi, which was founded by the late former president Jerry John Rawlings’ administration, was renamed the Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills and Entrepreneurial Development by President Akufo-Addo.
He said that the University of Education’s Kumasi campus will become an independent organization and be known as the University of Skills and Entrepreneurial Development.
He mentioned that the decision to turn the school into an independent entity is well along.
UMAT stands for University of Mines and Technology.
The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) was formally renamed the George Grant University of Mines and Technology by President Akufo-Addo in honor of the first United Gold Coast Convention President (UGCC).
On Friday, January 12, 2018, during a special assembly held at the school to appoint former President John Kufuor as its Chancellor, the Tarkwa-based postsecondary institution was renamed.
The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), formerly known as the KNUST School of Mines (KNUSTSM), was renamed when the University of Mines and Technology Act of Parliament was enacted by parliament during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
