Stop partisan divisiveness on campuses - Asantehene

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has expressed worry about how some tertiary institutions have allowed the abrasive political division in the country to permeate their sacred campuses and turned them into battlegrounds for partisan combats instead of havens for imbibing and dispensing knowledge.

He said the partisanship in those tertiary institutions must be reversed to optimise the impact of politics on the nation's socio-economic advancement.

The Asantehene spoke after the conferment of an honorary doctor of laws degree on him by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) last Thursday.

The Asantehene is among some eminent persons, and is the third traditional ruler to have received such a degree. 

Previous recipients included former President John Agyekum Kufuor, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Paramount Chief of Cape Coast, and Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI, Paramount Chief of Owirenkyiman Traditional Area.

The well-attended ceremony, which attracted prominent persons from academia, government, traditional authorities and the clergy, was interspersed with traditional performances and music.

The Asantehene said it was, therefore, not surprising that there was hardly any evidence of meaningful collaboration that existed between the state and the universities, leading to socio-economic growth in other jurisdictions, saying the politics on the campuses was hampering effective running of the institutions. 

"It is time, in my view, for all of us to wake up to the negative impact this has caused and efforts made to reverse the situation,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu said.

He stressed the need to fashion a new relationship between state and academia that engaged the expertise of academia in the process of policy formulation on a continuous basis.

The Asantehene indicated that while education was expected to produce the critical human resource able to solve societal problems, there seemed to be a disconnect in the educational system and our ability to solve societal problems.

"But if the outcome of education is to produce an army of skilled and able young men and women who cannot find jobs to happily apply their acquired skills, and if continually we are confronted with questions about competencies in management of our resources, how can we respond to anyone who questions the ultimate value we place on education," he questioned.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on academia to reevaluate the education system and help correct any lapses before confidence in education was further eroded, adding that the universities were expected to be storehouses of knowledge and laboratories for research for the solutions to society’s problems.

Educational reviews

The Asantehene traced the nation's educational systems and its reviews over the years by different governments, stating that education was regarded not only as a human right, but a critical requirement needed for socio-economic development by all governments.

He said what was, however, troubling was that most of the educational reviews had been driven by austerity or constrained by fiscal malaise and not necessarily by the desire to achieve the stated goals.

Free SHS

The Asantehene said while there was no doubt that the Free Senior High School education policy was the single most audacious piece of social intervention in the Fourth Republic, it had become a subject of controversial discourse considering that it came with fiscal challenges.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, however, stated that while there was undoubted merit in the rather ambitious free secondary policy, its implementation was not totally coordinated with the tertiary institutions, leading to a surge in demand for undergraduate students.

He said the policy increased numbers of prospective undergraduate students, too many for an unprepared tertiary educational system in terms of infrastructure.

The Asantehene added that while education was costly, that far outweighed the cost of an uneducated population, and therefore, called for investment in the educational sector.

He suggested that any future review of the educational system must be holistic, looking at the interface between the basic, secondary and tertiary levels, what resources were available and how equitable such resources were distributed, and how they could be shared across the various levels of education for shared enhanced quality and efficiency. 

He commended the efforts of Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, for his vision towards establishing the university, and UCC for keeping the standards.

Chancellor

The Chancellor of UCC, Sir Sam Esson Jonah, praised Otumfuo Osei Tutu for his unwavering dedication and profound wisdom in tackling numerous intricate challenges within the nation's borders and at the international stage.

He lauded him for using his exceptional abilities in promoting peace, especially his role in resolving the long-standing Dagbon conflict, a feat that exemplified the paramount importance of astute leadership and diplomacy in fostering peace and harmony.

For his part, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, said the institution had been deeply inspired by the sagacious actions of Otumfuo's resolute commitment towards fostering unity and spearheading developmental initiatives not only among his people but across other regions as well.

Citation

The citation in honour of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said his reign as Asantehene had seen rapid growth and development of Asanteman and its environs in health, education, agriculture and business.

“The University of Cape Coast salutes you for your meritorious and distinguished service to the nation, particularly your commitment to promoting unity and development in Asanteman and other regions, as well as your significant contribution to humanity in the areas of water and sanitation, health, education, entrepreneurship, culture and heritage,” it said.