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“For me today is a little emotional, because I personally know Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor. We all know him as a brilliant mind, high academic achiever, high professional achiever, a statesman, a family man, a God-fearing man. But for me there is one thing that crowns all of these defining characteristics of this eminent personality: Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor is a man of integrity, and therefore is a mentor for all of us in public service… and so for Kumasi Technical University to choose him as your Chancellor, you have virtually won the lottery. You can be assured of stellar leadership.”
On Friday, September 30, 2022, at the Investiture and Swearing-In of Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor as the inaugural Chancellor of the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) at the institution’s campus in Kumasi, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia delivered these remarks.
KsTU, originally known as Kumasi Technical Institute, was founded in 1954 and has produced a sizable pool of technical talent. It is regarded as one of Ghana’s top institutions for technical education and offers a wide range of Higher National Diploma, Degree, and Post-Graduate programmes in engineering, applied arts, sciences, and technology, as well as technical and vocational training.
It is a well-deserved honor because of all that you have done for mother Ghana in your roles as the former board chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), president of the Ghana Medical Association, member of parliament for the Manhyia constituency, minister of defense, and acting minister of the interior.
But I don’t think the University could have chosen a more deserving leader than you.
Your extensive knowledge and well-established interest in technical and vocational education are indicated by your experience as Board Chairman of Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization (SMIDO), Dr. Bawumia said.
Vice President Bawumia reaffirmed the government’s emphasis on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and he urged the new Chancellor and all heads of tertiary institutions to continue making adequate preparations in response to the extensive call for prioritizing Technical Education in Ghana and elsewhere, stressing that “the Free Senior High School and Free TVET Policies have become permanent features of our educational architecture and their foundations shall be embedded in all of our educational programs.”
“Building on the foundations established by President John Agyekum Kufuor, the government of Nana Akufo-Addo has demonstrated a renewed commitment to technical and vocational education both at the secondary and tertiary levels. The vision of government since 2017 has been to align all TVET institutions in the country, to provide appropriate governance and management structure for a unified national TVET system.”
He explained that the realignment of the TVET landscape is to provide coordination of the curriculum, training of trainers/facilitators, linkage with industry, entry requirement, training facilities, mode of delivery, assessment, certification system and employability of graduates by synchronizing all existing laws relating to skills training in the country.
“In pursuit of this noble objective, I, on behalf of the President launched the Ghana TVET Service last year at a colourful event at the Accra Technical Training Centre. I am proud to see the many noticeable successes chalked by the management of the Ghana TVET Service.”
Again commending the leadership of the Kumasi Technical University for tapping the “results-driven” Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor as its Chancellor, Vice President Bawumia was confident that the institution’s continuous efforts in “building the workforce of the future generation whose work will give full meaning to the words of our country’s motto “Freedom and Justice”, will bring forth the generation that will build a new Ghanaian civilization filled with possibilities…
“I commend the authorities of this University, for the excellent choice of a distinguished person, one who is also happily a firm believer in academic freedom, and I am hopeful that the University will definitely feel the added benefit of your rich experiences.”
Vice President Bawumia reaffirmed the government’s emphasis on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and he urged the new Chancellor and all heads of tertiary institutions to continue making adequate preparations in response to the extensive call for prioritizing Technical Education in Ghana and elsewhere, stressing that “the Free Senior High School and Free TVET Policies have become permanent features of our educational architecture and their foundations shall be embedded in all of our educational programs.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
