Barring any last minute changes, the University for Development Studies (UDS) will today confer on former President Jerry John Rawlings an Honorary Doctorate Degree at its special congregation at the Tamale City Campus.
This would be followed by the unveiling of his statue at the Faculty of Agriculture at Nyankpala Campus, in recognition of his role in the establishment of the university, whose 20th anniversary coincides with the event.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that other distinguished personalities are also billed to be honoured for their support in diverse ways towards the establishment of the premier university of the North.
The award for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder had been considered by the University Board for over a decade, but due to several controversies and postponements, a definite date was chosen early this year.
Former President Rawlings, during his tenure as the first elected president under the fourth republic established the UDS in 1992 to cater for the growing number of applicants from the North yearning to enter university in pursuance of various fields of study.
The erstwhile NPP government under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, on assumption of office, facilitated the expansion of the university to cover the other three Northern regions with satellite campuses in Wa, Navrongo and Dungu.
Radical improvement in infrastructural development including the construction of an ultra-modern administration block at its permanent site in Tamale sprang up during this period, making the university more attractive and conducive for learning.
The UDS currently runs several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. with a promise during the last matriculation by Professor Yakubu, its Vice Chancellor to expand its programmes to meet the rising demand of special fields required by some applicants.
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