Authorities of the University for Development Studies (UDS) have put to rest the controversy surrounding the establishment of UDS whether former president Jerry John Rawlings used his own money to establish it or not.
The over eight years old back and forth augment by the communication members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in particular was dash out at a special congregation to honor retired Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings a doctoring degree for his foresight and generosity on Saturday in Tamale. Products of the university who are members of both parties on several platforms either on radio or televison augued on whether former president Rawlings deserve to be honored by UDS or not.
Former president Dr. Rawlings was bill to honor in 2005 by the erstwhile NPP regime but for unknown reasons it was cancelled which anger many supporters of NDC and those who knew the contribution of Dr. Rawlings.
Speaking at the special congregation, the UDS governing council Chairman Dr. Abdulai Baba Salifu said the council took the decision to honor Dr. Rawlings because he had used his personal 50 thousand US dollars food prize to establish the UDS.
The conferment of the honoring doctoring degree by UDS governing council to the former president Dr. Rawlings has made him the founder and an alumna of the university.
“By the authority of academic board, I admit to you, your excellence honoring degree’’ said The UDS governing council chairman Dr Abdulai Baba Salifu.
The founder of UDS as be described now, Dr. Rawlings salutes the pioneers of UDS for their efforts for about of existence of the university.
Former president Rawlings commended authorities the UDS for the program they are offering especially, the tri mister where students spend one year out of four years stay in villages under supervision of their lecturers , eating with communities, live there and learning their stories of life.
’’This university is a community of learning designed to energies, empowered and to engaged the communities and youth to driving their development’’ Dr Rawlings stated.
These, Dr Rawlings said make university students to become real learners from their less privilege elders and benefit from richness of village history and culture, the real needs and aspirations of the culture.
He said the structure UDS was unique because it is the only university with campuses in its catchment area in Ghana. This unique structure he said promotes harmony peace and unity and allowed young people to grow up and learn other people cultures without boundaries.
Dr Rawlings further urged authorities to preserve this unique structure and not to dismantle the original university in its unique regional demission.
He said he did not oppose each region having an additional university. ’’It is only fare and proper for the government to remain sensitive and to ensure there is equitable distribution of resource to the various universities in the country’’ Dr Rawlings added.
Government he said can be generated from the foreign students in the same Ghanaians have to pay high fees in some of these foreign schools.
