Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region and a former deputy minister for Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says there will be revolt if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dares rename the University of Ghana after his uncle, JB Danquah.
He says history would have been rewritten by the President.
Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that a hall or faculty can be renamed after his uncle to recognize his contribution to the setting up of the university, but renaming it after him will be met with fierce resistance.
President Akufo-Addo told an audience at the launch of an Endowment Fund to commemorate the university’s 70th anniversary stated that: “It will be wholly appropriate and not at all far-fetched to describe Joseph Boakye Danquah as the founder of this University.”
In the President’s view, the British colonialists who built the university, were inspired by J.B. Danquah, because they initially intended to build for British West Africa, a single university in Nigeria.
“How felicitous was that decision and how greatly it has contributed to the growth of modern Ghana, it will be wholly appropriate and not at all far-fetched to describe Joseph Boakye Danquah as the founder of this University . . . the fact, which on the 70th anniversary of the university’s existence, should be vividly recalled that all of us are the beneficiaries of his work.”
Samuel Okudzeto indicated that credit cannot be taken away from the agitations of Gold Coasters between December 1945 and July 1946 at which period the Colonial Secretary in Accra was bombarded with petitions from such bodies as the Advisory Committee on Education, Achimota Council, the Standing Committee of the Joint Provincial Council of Chiefs, Asante Confederacy Council, Gold Coast Bar Association, Old Students Associations, Rodger Club, Accra; Hudson Club, Kumasi; and Gold Coast Teachers Union.
It must also be emphasised that the Asantehene played a very special role in this noble endeavour. It was the Asantehene who agreed with the Bradley Committee to have the first University sited in Accra with funds largely from cocoa farmers from the Asantehene’s territory. This was on condition that a second university will be considered for Kumasi later.
However, confronted with this history, it will be near impossible to hoodwink Ghanaians that Dr. JB Danquah is the founder of the University of Ghana. Even if successful, it will amount to intellectual dishonesty of the highest order.
He also added that he does not see how the current Vice Chancellor and the University Council will permit President Akufo-Addo to rename the University of Ghana JB Danquah University when the university’s own commissioned work does not support this latter day distortion of history.
"Like most alumni of the University of Ghana, I have confidence that President Akufo-Addo’s hegemonic maneuvering will not see the light of day, we will revolt against it," he reiterated.
"Clearly, seeing how far some Presidents may go in pleasing their uncles and other relations as they distort our history and rename monuments, it is time for this country to have an independent commission which will be the only legal entity with responsibility for naming and preserving national institutions, installations, assets and commemorative events."
"We can do far better for the great University of Ghana instead of contemplating a needless change of name," he added.
Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Please don't waste our time with such divisive headlines only to allow a baby with iron teeth to insult the intelligence of Ghanaians. We have better things to think of. History does not lie but has many interpretations.
Ablakwa eeeeei! It will be renamed at the right time. You can remove all your front teeth then. Or grow hair on your bald head. Goofus!
Look at this wall gecko warning somebody. Hmm God have mercy.
The bold, the fearless, the incorruptible, the honest, and one of the youngest law-maker: Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa.
The double salary scandal will soon cause the demise of the cr!m!nal gang called the NDC....... P(NDC) ruled this country for more than 27 years but left us with no legacy.... They only enriched themselves...... All those who took double salary are cr!m!nals and will be removed from parliament and sent to jail......
Talking plenty does not mean you are intelligent. You are always demonstrating your immaturity as a parliamentarian. As someone said earlier I am not sure who is so impressed by you at PeaceFM. Unless you pay them to publish your commentaries.
NDC will capitalize on anything to score points. Do they think we are all vulnerable to their deceit? They should know many Ghanaians are are discerning listeners.
I'm still shocked these ndc members can learn from their past,so, if you can't see can't you hear? Ndc ,it will serve you great deal if you sh*t up exposing your ign***rance in everything and making your disaffection to the people the more, so can't ndc see or feel Ghanaians don't like them? so,their humiliating defeat also don't tell them anything? I can't think far on that. The more you talk the more you create disaffection, the more you come out the more people hate you and don't want your party,in fact I feel sorry it's like f000**00ls in Ghana have been grouped in that party, they don't have shame and they don't care if their party is in opposition and they don't mind if Ghanaians hate them and they tickling themselves of victory 2020 and I don't know how that will happen with the disaffection of the majority of the country to that party, ndc is unattractive because of people like Okudzato Ablakwah, Suhuyini, Muntaka,Ayariga, Sam George, Kwaku Boahen, Sammy Gyamfi, Fiifi Kwettey, Koku Anyidoho and you name them and these people wouldn't let their party breath clean air. Your party is not credible and you adding insult to injury. Mo'agyimi dodo!
the manner that this article is being publicised tells me Peacefm editor is an illiterate.
Twerp!