The draft Bills that will legally convert Cape Coast and Tamale Polytechnics to fully fledged Universities will be laid before parliament when it resumes next week, according to the Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, Prof.Kwasi Yankah.
“Two others, Cape Coast and Tamale that were converted by Executive instrument are in the process of being converted and will be formally transitioned when the Law setting them up, is formally enacted by Parliament in few weeks’ time .This will bring to eight (2) the number of new Technical Universities now added to Ghana’s Public Universities, with the new ones specifically designated as Technical University.”
He added “as I’m speaking now a Bill is ready to be laid before parliament when Parliament resumes next week. I saw the draft myself.”
The Technical Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has accused government of downgrading the institutions back to Polytechnic status by inaugurating the governing Councils for these institutions as “Polytechnic Governing Council “. TUTAG has therefore vowed to resist attempt by government to downgrade these institutions.
However speaking to Starr News at the 13th Congregation of the Koforidua Technical University for 1,910 graduands Saturday, Prof. Yankah described as unfortunate the notion that government intent is to demote the two Institutions to Polytechnic status.
“It is unfortunate they will think that we are demoting them, no, it is a matter of time. From a distance you will appreciate their concerns, it will look like you are demoting us but the circumstances are technically different. Before any University comes into been it has to be backed by law.
“The government first upgraded six Polytechnics into Technical Universities. Cape Coast and Tamale were not part of it but by executive fiat or instrument the government decided that these are Polytechnics in the opinion of government should be upgraded. Those executive fiats or instruments are also allowed. But the Institutions didn’t come into being until an act of Parliament passes them then you can be said you exist. If we should appoint councils of these two Institutions, Tamale and Cape Coast, we can be taken to court”.
The Minister said, government will not hesitate to also convert Wa and Bolga Polytechnics into Universities if approved by the Technical Committee mandated to do the conversion. He however urged the two Polytechnics to put their house in order to facilitate their conversion processes. The Minister said government is expecting from the Technical Universities “upgrading of responsibilities to close the yawning gap between academia and Industry.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
