But for the timely intervention of the former President, Jerry John Rawlings, the saboteurs of northern region would have succeeded in denying the people of Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions of a public university education.
Mr Rawlings used his Military leadership style to rubbish a committee report that sought to suggest that the three regions of the north did not deserve a public university.
Among the recommendations of the report was that, resources that would be used to create university for the northern region should have been added to the three existing Universities in the south.
The recommendations of the report angered former president Rawlings who was the head of state at the time who instructed that a university be established in the northern region.
Mr Rawlings vetoed power with support from some proud northern intellectuals put their brains together and established the University for Development Studies.
The brain behind the architectural design of UDS, Yeni Gushee Naa, Professor Abubakari Alhassan disclosed this at the special congregation of UDS which climax the university 3rd Africa leadership lecture series in Tamale.
The African leadership lecture series was instituted by the UDS in 2013 was aimed at contributing to the national and transnational discourse on productive leadership culture that would support and enhance African development.
Professor Abubakari flank by Dr Hakkem Ahmed Wemah said several attempts by successive governments to establish a university in the northern part of Ghana failed.
The late president Dr Hilla Limann set up the professor Asare’s committee on the establishment of a university in the north also failed. ’’ Rawlings brought the last nail of to the coffin of university for the north’’ professor Abubakari added.
The Yeni Gushee Naa, Professor Abubakari who was honored Doctorate Degree, letters category by the UDS though refused to mention the name of the committee, said the committee’s report was so disastrous against the establishment of a university in northern Ghana.
The saboteurs of northern education were all in the ministries at the time because those occupying the ministries were all against it which made it difficult to set up an office purposely for northern university.
This, however, did not stop Mr Rawlings who was bent of establishing a university for the north, professor Abubakari stated.
He set up an office in the seat of government (castle) for the University which professor Abubakari was the secretary.
Explaining why the UDS has campuses in the three regions, Professor Abubakari who was tasked to go round the whole country said he recommended that the UDS be spread in the three regions of the north.
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