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Ghana’s President Promises to Grant Charter to Catholic University College

The campus of the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG).

A year after members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) petitioned the President to grant the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) a charter, the President has given a hint of granting the Catholic institution of higher learning autonomy.

“I am aware that the Catholic University College of Ghana has applied for a Presidential Charter,” President Nana Akufo-Addo has been quoted as saying in a message read on his behalf. 

In the statement read by the Bono Regional Minister, Evelyn Kumi Richardson, President Akufo-Addo further told the Catholic Church leadership, “I want to assure you that everything possible will be done to ensure that you are granted autonomy from your mentoring institutions as you have what it takes to be granted the Presidential Charter.”

The GCBC-owned Institution of higher learning “has come of age and needs to be granted a Presidential Charter to run as an autonomous institution,” Ghana’s President said about CUCG during the university’s 19th Congregation and 29th Matriculation that took place October 31.

“As a private University College, you have indeed gone through your minimum required period of academic mentorship and are under the supervision of at least two major mentoring public institutions for the award of degrees and diplomas,” President Akufo-Addo said.

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He went on to express his confidence in the leadership of CUCG saying, “I have no doubt that you continue to exhibit satisfactory capacities in governance, finance, academic matters and infrastructure development and therefore, there is no impediment in your way to receive the Presidential Charter.”

 

Catholic Bishops in the West African country had, in November 2019, asked President Akufo-Addo to grant a Charter to their institution of higher learning that has been in existence since 2003. 

“Your Excellency, we will appreciate it very much if you could kindly grant our University a Presidential Charter for it to be an independent degree-awarding institution,” the President of GCBC, Archbishop Philip Naameh said during a courtesy visit to the Head of State. 

Archbishop Naameh added, “The University is ripe to be granted a Presidential Charter, in order to improve upon its facilities.”

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The leadership of CUCG had submitted their official request for the Presidential Charter to the National Accreditation Board, the body responsible for accreditation, regulation and supervision of tertiary institutions in the West African nation in January 2019, the GCBC President said. 

Also speaking during CUCG’s October 31 Congregation and Matriculation event, the Vice-Chancellor of CUCG, Professor Daniel Obeng-Ofori, commended the government for providing the institution with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth 142,886.00 cedes (USD24,424.00) following the outbreak of COVID-19. 

Professor Obeng-Ofori also disclosed that a new project 'One Parish One Student', which requires Catholic Parishes to sponsor at least one student to the Institution, is being embarked on. 

The initiative of having Parishes support the education of students at CUCG aims at increasing the Catholic student population at the institution of higher learning located in Fiapre within Ghana’s Sunyani Diocese.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.