The Vice Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has reiterated calls for the suspension and total revocation of the Public University Bill currently before parliament
According to a press statement signed by Spokesperson and Head of Communication of her office, Opoku-Agyemang’s professional assessment has established that the bill in its current form and shape will erode the progress made by universities in the country over the years and will lead to “needless” political interference in the advancement of education in the country.
It is her contention, the statement added, that the bill lacks clear rationale and does not justify the need to make changes to it as some stakeholders are proposing. She is therefore demanding a total revocation of the bill initiated by Mathew Opoku Prempeh led Education Ministry.
“Prof. Opoku-Agyemang has renewed calls demanding the suspension and total revocation of the Public University Bill (PUB).
Her official review of the bill has found that it has no clear rationale. Her professional assessment is that, in its present form, it will erode progress made over the decades by universities in Ghana and open the doors to needless political interference in the advancement of knowledge. In effect, there is no justification for modifying the bill and as such it should be totally revoked,” the statement said.
Justifying her position, the vice presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2020 elections asserted that the bill will grant the president power to appoint and dismiss the heads of universities as well as permit the education minister to give policy directions which will be binding on the universities. This, she opined, will be ‘needless’ political interference in the academic independence of the universities.
The statement reaffirmed the position of the NDC that its future government will repeal the bill should it be passed by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) government.
The Public University Bill currently before Parliament seeks to harmonise the governance, administration and accountability structures of public universities in the country.
The bill has, however, been met with stiff opposition from major stakeholders including the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). UTAG had raised similar issues about political interference in the academic freedom of the universities and the lack of rationale of the bill. It had proposed a number of amendment to the bill and threatened to seek legal redress should government ignore their concerns.
But government dismissed the concerns raised against the bill. President Akufo-Addo in April 2019 defended the bill arguing that the oppositions against the passage of the bill are “flimsy” and born out of “mischief-making and are disingenuous.”
