The family of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings has accepted his decision to rename the University of Development Studies (UDS), Tamale after him.
President Nana Akufo-Addo who disclosed this on Wednesday stated the necessary formalities will be carried out to rename the UDS; The Jerry John Rawlings University of Development Studies, Tamale.
The President made this known in a tribute read at the final day of a four-day funeral for Mr Rawlings in Accra.
“Whilst he was with us, he, respectfully, declined an offer I made to him, in 2017, to have the University of Development Studies, Tamale, (UDS), which he, personally, helped establish, named after him. His reason was that, in adhering to a long-standing principle, he did not want to have any national monument or facility named after him. Two days after his passing, at the 21st Congregation of UDS, I expressed my strongest convictions, in spite of his reservations, that such an honour should be accorded him. I am glad that this has found favour with his family, and the necessary formalities will be carried out to achieve this, i.e. The Jerry John Rawlings University of Development Studies, Tamale,” Akufo-Addo said.
Akufo-Addo said although the former military leader declined the initial offer to rename UDS after him in 2017, the offer has since found favour with his family.
“His reason was that, in adhering to a long-standing principle, he did not want to have any national monument or facility named after him, ” Akufo-Addo said.
He continued, “Two days after his passing, at the 21st Congregation of UDS, I expressed my strongest convictions, in spite of his reservations, that such an honour should be accorded him. I am glad that this has found favour with his family, and the necessary formalities will be carried out to achieve this, i.e. The Jerry John Rawlings University of Development Studies, Tamale.”
UDS
The University for Development Studies (UDS) was established with a World Food Prize money in May, 1992 by the Government of Ghana (PNDC Law 279) under the Rawlings regime.
President Rawlings who was the receiver of the Prize did not only dedicate his Award to Ghana but donated the prize money of $50,000 to be used as the seed money for the establishment of the school.
UDS began academic work in September 1993 with the admission of forty (40) students into the Faculty of Agriculture (FoA), Nyankpala.
Today, the institution boasts of over 20,000 students. It currently has 15 faculties, 4 campuses and offers 120 programmes.
According to the school, its formation was to “blend the academic work with that of the community in order to provide constructive interaction between the two for the total development of Northern Ghana, in particular, and the country as a whole.”
The multi-campus institution became the fifth public university to be established in the country.
It is thus not surprising that the Akufo-Addo government has made the necessary arrangements to rename UDS after him for the crucial role he played in founding Ghana’s first public University in the North.
By Henryson Okrah|Myxyzonline.com