Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian University Colleges receive Presidential Charter

Three universities and colleges in the nation have received Presidential Charters from President Nana Akufo-Addo, bringing the total number of private universities to get them to six during the Akufo-Addo government.

The Catholic University College, Methodist University College, and Presbyterian University College are the most recent university colleges to meet the requirements for the Presidential Charter.

Ashesi University in 2018, All Nations University in 2020, and Pentecost University in 2020 are the most recent universities to be granted presidential charters by the present administration.

President Akufo-Addo told representatives of the three university colleges at the presentation ceremony held in the Jubilee House banquet hall today, August 30, 2022, that the newly established universities would be closely watched to make sure they continued to uphold the high standards that had earned them the Presidential Charters.

“Having applauded Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College and Catholic University College, for the solid work done in getting this far, it is important that I draw their attention to sector 27 of Act 1023 which states that”;

“The President may on the recommendation of the Commission, through the Minister, revoke, vary or in any other way, amend the provisions of the Charter where the President considers that the revocation, variation or amendment is in the best interest of tertiary education in the country”.

“The universities should therefore bear in mind that they will be closely monitored, especially, in areas of concern outlined by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission” President Akufo-Addo said.

“As Chartered institutions, I ask them to continue to improve and to introduce more innovative programmes and courses that will equip their students with the requisite skills and competences needed to develop our country and transform progressively the economy” Nana Akufo-Addo stated.

In his statement, President Akufo-Addo noted that “Methodist University Colleges, Presbyterian University and Colleges Catholic University Colleges, have been working towards this end and are the first to receive their charter upon the coming into effect of the new reforms” that took effect upon the passage of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1023).

“They have as a result, successfully gone through the rigorous accreditation and quality assurance processes under section 5, sub-section 2 of Act 1023 and the associated regulations which enjoins the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to consider the following matters in the charter appraisal process”.

“A, The governing structure of the institution. B, the quality of teaching, research, the academic staff and work of the applicant institution. C, the sustainability of financial, material and teaching facilities and resources at the disposal of or owed by the applicant institution, and D, other factors that the commission determines to be appropriate” Akufo-Addo concluded.

In his answer, Prof. Obeng Ofori, Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University, expressed gratitude to the President on behalf of all three universities for granting them each their unique charters.

The development, he continued, “marks a very important day in the annals of the history” of the three places of higher learning that are based on religion.

In his remarks, Prof. Obeng Ofori asked the President to send the three universities buses as birthday presents and to assist in resolving their critical transportation issues.

At the occasion, President Akufo-Addo gave his approval for the Minister of Education, Yaw Adu-Twum, to deliver the buses to the three newly chartered tertiary institutions as requested.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com