President Akufo-Addo dancing with Prof Anthony Afful-Broni
President Akufo-Addo has urged the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Very Reverend Father Professor Anthony Afful-Broni to “use his full gifts” to promote the spirit of reconciliation in the university during his tenure in order to put its immediate troubles behind.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “It represents the surest route to success in the daunting task ahead.”
Speaking at the investiture of the Very Reverend Father Professor Anthony Afful-Broni as the 4th Vice Chancellor of the University yesterday, the President stated that the ceremony was taking place on the heels of recent happenings in the university which disturbed all.
“It is worth noting, however, that the stakeholders have acted within the confines of the law to ensure that this university has a substantive leadership in place to help it achieve the goals for which it was established. To all whose diverse efforts helped in restoring normalcy to UEW, you have the appreciation of a grateful nation,” he added.
The President indicated that his administration had demonstrated its commitment to the growth of the university, which performs an important role in the socio-economic transformation of Ghana, saying “we will help ensure that UEW fulfils its mandate. Our goal is to help restore the teaching profession to the status it once enjoyed, and make it an attractive career choice.”
President Akufo-Addo was confident that in Prof. Afful-Broni, UEW has a person capable of not only steering the affairs of the university for the next four years, but also spurring it onto even greater heights.
“His induction into office today is a mark of the trust that the Governing Council and Faculty of the University have reposed in him, and I am confident that this trust will not be broken. His wealth of experience, with decades of service to Church and classroom, makes him an appropriate person for this all-important assignment,” he added.
The President reminded the new Vice Chancellor of one of the most important and immediate challenges, which would confront the University and others, i.e. the dramatically increased population of students, who will be seeking admission in some two years’ time as a result of the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
The President strongly disagreed with the stance of those who continue to state that all the infrastructural needs of senior high schools should have been addressed before the roll out of Free SHS policy.
“I take comfort in the words of Holy Scripture in Ecclesiastes Chapter 11, verse 4, which says “If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never sow anything and never harvest anything,” he said.
The President continued, “We have taken the first bold step because we cannot continue to watch as tens and tens of thousands of qualified Ghanaian children drop out of school, because they cannot afford fees. Free SHS is here to stay, and will be a permanent feature of our educational architecture.”
Touching briefly on the teacher licensing policy, President Akufo-Addo stressed that it’s not intended to put any impediments in the way of teachers from the Colleges of Education and other tertiary institutions.
“On the contrary, it’s meant to enhance professionalism in teaching, and guarantee that our teachers meet a minimum standard of qualification, through an independent examination so as to be able to teach in our classrooms. If education is important to us, then it requires that we maintain the best standards,” he added.
Prof. Afful-Broni, who once held the Pro Vice Chancellor position of the university before acting as the Vice Chancellor, said he would work to increase the student population of the university to over 70,000 by next academic year.
He added that the university, under his tenure, would see a new phase in leadership, infrastructure, as well as better relationship with the traditional area.
Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Nicholas Abekah, said the Council put Prof. Afful-Broni to stringent leadership tests which he duly passed.
He said during the period Prof. Afful-Broni acted as the Vice Chancellor, he proved himself worthy by his competence and moral uprightness.
The programme was attended by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Bishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan and Member of Parliament (MP) for Efutu, Alex Afenyo Markin, among other dignitaries.