Mahama Vows To Scrap Akufo-Addo’s ‘Colonial’ Public Universities Bill

Former President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to have the controversial Public Universities Bill that the Akufo-Addo Government is sponsoring before Parliament, repealed if he is re-elected as President in the upcoming election.

In a write-up posted on his Facebook timeline he described the Bill as an instrument to colonize public Universities and academic freedom, saying repealing it will be one of his priorities as President if the Government does not withdraw it from Parliament.

“As has been stated already by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, University Teachers, some former Vice-Chancellors, individual academics in the universities among many other stakeholders, there is absolutely no need for the Public Universities Bill. It must be immediately withdrawn from parliament.

“In its current form, it is unclear what problems or challenges in higher education the Bill seeks to resolve. What is certain however is that, the Bill seeks to colonise public universities in the country, undermine academic freedom, stifle scholarly initiative, and subject research and researchers to needless and unproductive government control.

“Government must listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and withdraw the Bill. I want to, however, assure the people of Ghana and the academic community that should government proceed and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament, I will not hesitate to initiate steps for its immediate repeal, as a matter of priority, if God willing I assume office as President in January 2021,” the former President wrote.

Government has claimed that the controversial Bill is purposed to harmonize the finances, administration and governance structure of public universities.

If it is passed into law, the Bill will empower government to appoint majority of the members of the University Council, before this Government appointed Council will in turn appoint or fire officials of the various public universities, including Chancellors.

The Bill also gives the President the power to dissolve the University Council. This Council will then have control over the finances of the universities and determine the allocation of funds.

It also proposes that four public universities be renamed after personalities of Government’s choosing.

Many academics, academicians and the teaching fraternity in general have expressed concern that this Bill will take autonomy away from the Universities and encroach on academic freedoms.

Former President Mahama’s call comes just days after the Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law (UGSL), Professor Raymond Atuguba, calling for its withdrawal.

Other notable personalities who have kicked against the Bill include former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Adae-Mensah and former Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Also, the Minority in Parliament has kicked against the Bill with the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) protesting that the Bill gives government too much power over the Universities.

According to former President Mahama, “the Bill as it stands does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghana’s position as the preferred destination for international scholarly collaboration.”