University of Ghana (UG), Legon, will confer an Honorary Degree on former president John Agyekum Kufuor and many others for their distinguished contribution to public service in the country.
The awards form part of this year’s Aggrey- Fraser- Guggisberg Memorial Lectures, organised by UG on the theme, “Beyond Recovery”.
However, some kingpins of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have kicked against the Honorary Degree that will be conferred on President Kufuor, saying that he doesn’t deserve it, because he did little for the university.
They also argued that Kufuor was not an alumnus of Ghana’s premier University and had not done enough for the University to merit such an award.
According to them, the Honorary Degree should have been conferred on the late President Atta Mills and President John Mahama because they were alumni and had contributed to the development of the school and the nation as a whole.
A close source at UG told DAILY GUIDE that the awards were not for alumni alone so there was no logic in the argument the NDC members were making, adding that the University was honouring Kufuor for his outstanding contribution to public service and that he truly deserved it.
President Kufuor, according to a source, changed the face of Legon with the provision of lots of facilities, including the new residential hostels dotting the campus of Legon.
With regard to President Mills, the source said, the University didn’t give posthumous award, therefore, it couldn’t award the late president, stating that the university would continue to honour those who had distinguished themselves well in public service, whether they were alumni or not.
Also receiving a honorary doctorate award is Professor Kwadwo Asenso Okyere, the first Vice Chancellor of the University to be produced outside Achimota School.
Professor Asenso-Okyere, who spearheaded several development projects at the university, was a product of Prempeh College.
This year’s Aggrey- Fraser- Guggisberg Memorial Lectures was delivered by Professor Thandika Mkandawire, the Chair in African Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Professor Mkandawire urged Africa not to be content with the level of growth it had achieved so far.
According to him, the continent can do a lot better considering the abundant resources it had, stating that “even though Africa is recovering, it has not reached the stage where the continent can relax and say all is well”.
Aggrey- Fraser- Guggisberg Memorial Lectures is an annual event in remembrance of James Kwagyir Aggrey, a scholar, Alexander G. Fraser, educationist and Gordon Guggisberg, Governor of the Gold Coast, all founding fathers of Achimota School.