President Akufo-Addo congratulating Nana Opoku Ampomah, Founder of UPSA
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended the Governing Council of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) for its decision – in accordance with the statutes of the university – to rename it after the founder and first director of the institution, Nana J.K. Opoku-Ampomah.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “It is a most excellent decision, which has received the approval of the President of the Republic, so that, once the parliamentary process has been completed, this university will be called thenceforth the Opoku Ampomah University of Professional Studies.”
President Akufo-Addo made these remarks yesterday when he delivered the keynote address at the 4th special congregation ceremony of the UPSA in Accra.
The ceremony, amongst other things, conferred honorary doctorate degrees on Nana Opoku-Ampomah and Ahmad Ahmad, Vice President of FIFA, the world governing football body and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
From relatively small and humble beginnings in 1967, President Akufo-Addo stated that UPSA has become one of the most progressive public institutions of higher learning in Ghana, offering both academic and professional education.
He added that after being in existence for 50 years, UPSA has gained the reputation as the oldest, human resource development institution in professional accountancy and management in Ghana, with many of its products in key leadership positions in and out of the country.
“The outstanding work done under the leadership of Nana Opoku-Ampomah, who braved all odds and courageously sowed the biblical mustard seed, deserves special commendation,” he observed.
President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance that his government remains fully committed to ensuring that all of Ghana’s youth gain access not only to senior high school education, but also to tertiary education.
“We are aware that adequate funding of higher education has been one of the challenges of successive governments. At the graduate level, this, particularly, has become a topical issue in recent times,” he said. Government, the president assured, will continue to support tertiary institution-industry collaborative programmes to increase opportunities for practical training and internship.
“We shall promote curriculum development to meet the skills and human resource demands of industry, create opportunities for work and study, and make training in entrepreneurship a cardinal component of the school system,” he added.
He commended the council and management of the UPSA for placing emphasis on courses relevant to the needs of the Ghanaian economy, particularly, in the areas of management sciences, accountancy, marketing, banking and finance, communications, information technology, law and other related social sciences.
“The establishment of the endowment fund to help the needy, but brilliant students is also in the right direction. Government, and the Ministry of Education, under its dynamic Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, will continue to support you as much as the state of our public finances permit,” he underscored.