The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University for Development Studies (UDS) Professor Stephen B. Kendie has called on Ghanaians to be tolerant as the country goes to the polls in 2016.
Speaking at the 16th congregation of the university at its Tamale campus, Professor Kendie described the use of intemperate language during radio and television discussions of national issues, especially political issues as worrying.
Professor Kendi pointed to the fact that intolerance which is uncharacteristic of Ghanaians, is now so common that it has permeated every aspect of life in the country. He therefore stressed the need to curtail this behavior before it gets worse.
The council chairman said the vitriol, inflammable speeches and ad hominem attacks on personalities are all grim manifestation of intolerance. Issues that would have attracted sober and constructive criticisms in the past are now met with outright condemnations and even downright insults, professor Kendie lamented.
He described the situation as very worrying and noted that even the elderly, senior citizens and high public officials are not spared the insults. He said this was culturally unacceptable and if left unchecked could dent the country’s international image.
The council chairman made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians to preach peace and eschew the habit of insults and show respect for one another. “Let us all resolve to be courteous and circumspect in our utterances before, during and after the 2016 elections, professor,” Kendie appealed.
Professor Kendie called on the 1,200 students comprising diploma, undergraduate and graduate students drawn from the Tamale, Nyankpala and Navrongo campuses to bear in mind that they have to compete with their colleagues in other universities in the job market.
The number brings to 3,048, the total number of students including 16 medical doctors who graduated from UDS in the 2014-2015 academic year.
Professor Kendie said government cannot continue be the largest employer and charge the graduates to position themselves well so that society can benefit from the knowledge they acquired from UDS.
He noted that the number of graduate trainees from the country’s tertiary institutions and from the ten public universities and others will likely continue to grow well into the future. While appealing to government to create an enabling environment for young universities and colleges graduates to get into self employment, he implored the graduates to engage themselves in productive ventures.
