A new bill is being prepared by the government to be introduced in Parliament, through which the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), along with several other public universities across the country, will have their names changed.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, during the swearing-in ceremony of the Governing Council of CKT-UTAS in Accra.
Established in 2021 to equip students with practical and technical competencies for the global employment market, CKT-UTAS has been confronted with various infrastructural challenges that have impeded its academic advancement.
The institution’s name has not been accepted by some stakeholders who have protested against it since its inception.
It was further indicated by the Minister that the proposed renaming is part of a wider policy review aimed at evaluating and possibly altering the names of public universities that were either established or renamed during the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
“Extensive consultations have been held with members of the academic community, traditional leaders, alumni bodies, student representatives, and civil society organisations. Consequently, it is likely that the name ‘C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences’ will be changed—potentially in line with the original founding vision,” Mr Iddrisu noted.
He added that a general bill is expected to be brought before Parliament, under which the renaming of various public universities established or renamed under former President Akufo-Addo’s tenure will be considered.
It was clarified by the Minister that the move is not intended to diminish the contributions of individuals whom these institutions were named after. “This is not to suggest that such individuals are unworthy of recognition; rather, the renaming is being proposed in order to ensure alignment with the founding principles and historical identities of these institutions,” he explained.
The formalisation of the renaming process is expected to be undertaken through the tabling of a bill to be laid in Parliament.
