The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has hinted that he will table a bill in Parliament this year for the establishment of a new university in the Bono Region.

The new university, to be known as the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences, would be based in Kintampo in the Bono East Region.

“I intend to table that bill in Parliament as soon as Parliament reconvenes so that those institutions in and around Kintampo with capacity for the beginning of a full-fledged university for the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences will begin in earnest,” Mr Iddrisu said. 

Higher institution of learning

He explained that the decision was part of President John Mahama's desire to make sure that every region in the country hosted at least one higher education institution of learning.

The minister dropped the hint when he inaugurated the governing council of the Simon Diedong Dumbo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), Wa in the Upper West Region in Accra.

The 11-member governing council, chaired by a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nandom and also former Defence Minister, Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, was tasked to support the university to grow and to take its pride of place as one of Ghana's flagship institutions of higher learning.

Reversal of names

Mr Iddrisu reiterated the government’s position to reverse to the original names of universities, which were renamed by then President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said there was a policy shift. “The names will change, and we intend to get a bill into Parliament for the names to change to reflect the historical names of those institutions.

This is not to say that we do not appreciate the sacrifices or contributions of those individuals for whom those institutions were named after”.

He added that those who truly deserved national honours would still keep their honours.  

The minister expressed concern about how the names of the universities were changed, asking, “Certainly, the way the names were changing, where in the world do you see that happening?”