New Universities Bill Will Not Hinder Academic Freedom - - President Akufo Addo

By Rex Mainoo Yeboah

The new Universities Bill, which will soon be laid before Parliament, will not undermine academic freedom of public Universities, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has said.

Addressing the first session of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) 11th Congregation, at the UPSA Auditorium, President Akufo Addo said the bill would rather seek to bring together all public Universities under a common law and thereby make the administration of public universities less cumbersome and more efficient.

"The flimsy allegations being perpetrated that the bill will undermine academic freedom are deliberate mischief-making and disingenuous," President Akufo Addo said.

Addressing the students who graduated with a bachelor of law (LLB) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) degrees, President Akufo-Addo said, "even though lawyers in Ghana had contributed greatly to the development of the country, there are some who are ready to justify negative developments no matter how bizarre."

He urged the would-be lawyers to ensure that they respect the rule of law.

He admonished Ghanaians to be "natural champions of a law-based state whose institutions are solid enough to sanction effectively vigilantism, bank frauds, cyber frauds, illegal mining, identity thefts, stealing of public funds, bribery and corruption, criminal cartels and criminal behavior in general."

In all, 326 students graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations Management, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Management, Bachelor of Laws, Diploma in Public Relations Management and Diploma Information Technology Management.

Academic prizes were awarded to deserving graduating students. The best graduating student in the Faculty of Law went to Afua Emefa Amoaku Augustine, Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies went to Sandra Akweley Martey. Fourteen other students also received various awards in their fields of study.

The University of Professional Studies, Accra, was established in 1965 as a private institution and was taken over by the Government of Ghana in 1979. The Institute of Professional Studies Act of 1999 (Act 566) was enacted by Parliament which transformed it into a tertiary institution.

The Institute attained fully-fledged university status on 1st of September, 2008 when it was granted a Presidential Charter. The Institute was renamed the University of Professional Studies on 9th of October, 2012 following the presidential assent to the University of Professional Studies Bill passed by parliament on the 31st of July, 2012 to bring into effect the University of Professional Studies Act, 2012 (Act 850).

The new five-year strategic plan (2018-2022) serves as a guide to management for enhancement of the University's unique profile and effectiveness. Currently, the University runs various postgraduate, undergraduate and diploma programmes in the four faculties namely, Faculty of Management Studies, Faculty of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Information Technology & Communication Studies and the Faculty of Law.

Read Full Story