Samia Nkrumah, the daughter of Ghana’s founding president Kwame Nkrumah, has launched a stinging attack on the government’s decision to rename public institutions after former politicians describing it as misplaced priority.
According to Samia, politicians should be rather concentrate on addressing pertinent challenges and problems confronting the citizens and not to embark on fruitless ventures like renaming public institutions after former politicians.
She was quoted by Ghanaian Times Newspaper over the weekend as saying “If I were in government, I will not rename institutions, I will make sure that I’m addressing challenges, problems and needs of the citizenry and God knows they are many”.
Samia waded in when the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo embarked on renaming public institutions especially public universities after former politicians linked to the ruling party.
This is when some Ghanaians have raised red flag over the government’s renaming of public institutions after politicians.
The government recently published in the newspapers that it was going to rename three-public universities namely University of Development Studies at Tamale after former Jerry John Rawlings, University of Energy and National Resources in Sunyani to Dr. Kwesi Abrefa Busia, former Prime Minister and University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, the Volta Regional capital after Komla Gbedema, a minister of state during Nkrumah’s regime.
However, the government has come under severe criticism from a section of the general public.
Former military ruler, Jerry John Rawlings rejected the offer by government to rename the University of Development Studies (UDS) after him.
Rawlings built the UDS with seed money he received from Hunger Project Award in the 1990s.
But the government went ahead to rename University of Energy and Natural Resources after Dr. Busia, Wa Campus of the University of Development Studies after S.D. Dombo, a former stalwart of the United Party (UP) which NPP originated from and Navrongo Campus of the same university after C.K. Tedam another kingpin of the party who passed on recently.
Speaking at the 4th Congregation of the University of Energy and Natural Resources last Saturday, President Nana Akufo Addo expressed gratitude to the University Council for renaming the university which was established by later President Professor John Evans Atta Mills after Dr Busia adding that they have his blessing.
Some Ghanaians have described the move by President Nana Addo as bigotry which does not augur well for the development of the country.
The Minority in Parliament has decried the move, saying it was not consulted over it.
Meanwhile, the Busia Institute for Rural and Democratic Development has commended the University of Energy and Natural Resources Council for renaming the school after Dr. Busia.
Since assuming office, on 7th January, 2017, the ruling NPP government has renamed the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) at Tarkwa in the Western Region after Paa Grant one of the founding members of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the first political party formed during the Gold Coast era.
Tamale Sports Stadium has also been renamed after late Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
DAP/as/APA