Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Chairman of Parliament’s Education Committee and Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, says Parliament’s decision to rename certain public universities will help eliminate political bias and promote national unity.
His comments follow Parliament’s approval of the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Amendment Bill, 2025, which allows the institution to be renamed the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo.
In a similar move, lawmakers also passed the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Amendment Bill, 2025, clearing the way for the university in Wa to drop the name of the former politician and adopt the neutral title University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS).
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, December 22, Nortsu-Kotoe said the previous names of the universities were linked to political figures associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its ideological predecessors, including the Progress Party.
According to him, naming universities after political figures from specific regions was divisive and undermined efforts to build national cohesion.
He added that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had long opposed such naming practices and pledged to reverse them when given the opportunity.
“We cautioned government that it was not proper to name universities after certain political figures from some regions because there were certain political figures or there are some political figures from various regions.
So why name universities after political figures not even presidents and we promised them that on coming into office the NDC will change the names attached to these universities.
…The names that were attached were all NPP or pro NPP affiliates in the past. That is the Progress Party and previous ones… So it showed clearly that it was not bringing about any national unity… So we must stop that.”
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