The United Graduate College and Seminary International (UGCSI), has conferred an honorary doctorate of Leadership and Humanity on the Chief of Sanzule Community in the Western Region, Okatakyi Asafo Boakye III for his selfless contributions and dedication to the development of his community and Ghana.
The colourful event held on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at the UDS Guest House in Accra was organized by the Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA), a policy think-tank in collaboration with the UGCSI.
The United Graduate College and Seminary International (UGCSI) was founded in 1982 and offers various non-traditional, online, and Biblical ministry certificates and degrees including political leadership, Pastoral Ministry, and Ambassadorship Diplomacy, Christian Leadership, Biblical Counseling, and Innovative Leadership, among others.
It promotes the Culture of Honor through Honorary Degrees in Humanities based on skills and philosophy, which are bestowed upon highly esteemed individuals who have devoted their life’s work to the betterment of humanity.
Professor Michel Pitzel of UGCSI who conferred the award on Okatakyi III described him as a man of high repute with impeccable records of leadership and humanity and that was what informed the decision to honour and appreciate his contributions.
“We appreciate you for the work you are doing for your community, Sanzule. We appreciate your excellent leadership skills and dedication towards the people of Sanzule, Ghana as Chief and Businessman, thus this honour is well deserved,” Prof Pitzel said.
Ambassador Dr. Clyde Rivers also of UGCSI asserted that the Sanzule Chief deserves the honour and more for all of his contribution, guidance, and support he gives to the community and the people.
Okatakyi Asafo Boakye III, known in private life as Samuel Bervell Ackah was in awe by the kind gesture demonstrated to him by the UGCSI and Centre for Greater Impact Africa, and dedicated the honour to God and appreciated the organizers for such recognition.
He said the honour would rather motivate him to offer more to society, recounting his journey far from the private sector to the traditional leadership as Chief of Sanzule and urged Ghanaians, especially persons in privileged positions to always remember to give back to the society.
Executive Director of the Centre for Greater Impact Africa Reverend Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah called on the state to give traditional heads a functional role to play towards national development as they are currently not being given any meaningful role to play in governance.
He said the traditional leaders play enviable roles and responsibilities in national development and that there is about time their role is redefined to help the country’s social and economic development.
According to him, before colonial days, Africans and Ghanaians had their system of governance through the traditional leadership and the role of Chieftaincy institutions has since remained relevant.
Currently, Ghana has traditional councils and the house of chiefs that plays no major role in society.
The Centre for Greater Impact Africa is a think tank that focuses on academic research, and public education, they facilitate trade and industry throughout the African Sub-region.
It has some distinguished personalities including Mr. Samuel Akoetey, Director for Business Development for the Centre, Justice Isaac Douse, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeals, Dr. Chris Kpodar, formerly of the United Nations, Ms. Ramat Ebella Whajah, Branch Manager of Tema Main NIB and Mr. Prince Saviour Gankui, as Technical Advisors for the Centre.
On his part, Dr. Chris Kpodar, a former technical staff of the United Nations (UN) urged Ghanaians and Africans to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unlock the future development of the country and the continent as a whole.
According to him, Artificial Intelligence, the use of simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions has assumed national discourse and Ghana must prepare to launch in that space.
He added that the advent of Artificial Intelligence has become necessary in all spheres of life and gradually becoming the future of which there was the need for Ghana and other third world countries to join the technological and strategic drive policies.
Dr. Kpodar further urged Ghanaians to take artificial intelligence more seriously and implement some of the services in the agricultural, energy, educational and all other relevant sectors that tip a balance in favour of achieving a sustainable world.
He stated that the artificial intelligence resonance is a multi-sectorial discipline that is hinged around social, political, environmental, and most especially, economic grounds because that is the blood engine of every country’s development.
The former UN technical person also encouraged young people to learn and draw level with the new trends of artificial intelligence and its benefits and implications on industrialization.
“Everyone who wants to be relevant in this age does not require just reading and writing but knowing and applying artificial intelligence, therefore, I have always advocated that no education should take place without practical training,” he said.
Dr. Kpodar explained that artificial intelligence alone can make the world food-sufficient and poverty-free if adopted and applied well, emphasizing that artificial intelligence could be used for a wide range of sustainable and productive things including setting rain patterns favourable for planting and harvesting season.
Source: ghananewsonline.com