V/R: Youth group urges UHAS authorities to cancel honorary doctorate award to be given Prez Akufo-Addo

The youth wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Volta regional branch, is not pleased with the decision by the management of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), to credit President Akufo-Addo with an honorary doctorate degree.

According to the youth, the President has undermined the welfare and development of the region and the nation as a whole, adding that his acclaimed contribution towards the status of the institution is not accurate.

In a statement issued by the group Thursday, July 18, 2024, the youth want the University’s management to rescind the decision and abate all processes leading to the award of the degree.

Highlighting the challenges facing the region under the current administration, the group says conferring the honour on the President “tarnishes UHAS’s reputation but also sends a dangerous message to the youth and future leaders of this country.”

“The Volta Region has faced systematic neglect under the current government. Critical infrastructure projects, including the Ho – Aflao roads, have stalled, and the region has not received its fair share of national development,” portions of the statement added.

If unheeded, the group says it would apply all necessary procedures to ensure the move is not materialised, adding that a demonstration will become the resort if every other action fails.

Find below the full statement:

VOLTA YOUTH URGE UHAS AUTHORITIES TO CANCEL HONORARY DOCTORATE FOR PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO

The Volta Regional Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is totally disappointed by the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS)’s proposal to confer an honorary doctorate degree upon President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. We demand the Vice Chancellor and the University Council cease all actions toward this undeserved conferment immediately.

It is infuriating and unacceptable that UHAS would even consider honoring a leader whose policies and actions have profoundly undermined the welfare and development of the Volta region and the nation. UHAS was established from scratch by the Mills-Mahama-led NDC administration, who provided the vision, resources, and initial development, making UHAS what it is today.

The claims by UHAS authorities that the NPP secured funding for the China Phase II project are misleading. The relationships for continuous funding through grants from the Chinese were laid down long ago by President Mills even before the first phase of the University Construction began. We challenge the current administration to demonstrate any significant contributions they have made to UHAS since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took office.

Where are the developments, funding, or support his administration provided to merit such an honor? The government has failed to provide the necessary financial clearance for employing lecturers and staff at the University and has abandoned the University roads started by the NDC before leaving power.

The Volta Region has faced systematic neglect under the current government. Critical infrastructure projects, including the Ho-Aflao roads, have stalled, and the region has not received its fair share of national development.

This honorary degree proposal is a blatantly partisan move. UHAS, as an esteemed academic institution, must remain neutral and avoid political controversies. This conferment not only tarnishes UHAS’s reputation but also sends a dangerous message to the youth and future leaders of this country. It implies an endorsement of the numerous failings and misdeeds that have defined the current administration, including economic mismanagement, grand corruption, and the marginalization of the people of the Volta region.

We forcefully urge the Vice Chancellor and the UHAS Council to withdraw this proposed conferment immediately. We call upon the UHAS community, alumni, and stakeholders to stand with us against this misguided initiative. The legacy of UHAS should be one of excellence, integrity, and service to the people—values fundamentally incompatible with the current administration’s track record.

Should our warning go unheeded, we will be compelled to explore all lawful and democratic means to ensure our voices are heard, including organizing massive and sustained demonstrations against the management until they are removed from our land.

We trust that the Vice Chancellor and Council will act in the best interests of the university and the nation by withdrawing this unmeritorious and undeserving honor.

Signed:

Mathias Johnson Alagbo
Regional Youth Organizer
Volta Region, Ho
July 18, 2024
0241786168

Source:onuaonline.com