<<Print>>President John Mahama on Friday expressed disaffection over the politicization of national issues in the country. “It is regrettable that issues pertaining to national development, which are supposed to unite us as a people, are taking divisive dimensions”.
President Mahama made the remarks in an address read for him by the Central Regional Minister, Dr Acquinas Tawiah Quansah, at the fifth Special Congregation of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), to honour four outstanding personalities. They were former President John Agyekum Kufuor, a former Chairman of the University Governing Council, Rev. Dr Livingtone Kumla Buama, Mr Gibrine Adam, President of the Zenith University College and Professor Michael Shattock of University of London, United Kingdom.
They were awarded with Honorary Doctorate Degrees. President Mahama said politics should not be a matter of life and death, rather, it should be a contest of ideas that would help change the attitudes and disposition of the citizens, especially the youth, for the betterment of the lives of the citizenry, he said. “I would like to place on record that, my administration would open a new page to engage leaders from all political parties to reverse this unfortunate trend so that coming generations would in their time, enjoy the peace and tranquility they are they entitled to.” On urbanization and waste disposal, the President assured that government would step up rural development to reduce the drift. He called on the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to continue enacting and implementing by-laws that would deter people from locating their buildings and other business projects in waterways and other unacceptable areas in the country. “Flooding is virtually becoming a perennial issue and we as a people must work hard to create preventive measures to safeguard life and property”, he said.
Former President Kufuor, on behalf of the awardees, thanked the UEW for the honour done them. He said for us a nation to sustain growth, we need total commitment of our political leaders to rationally continue and complete projects of successive government, devoid of emotional partisanship. Former President Kufuor added his voice to appeals to the government, as the pre-eminent leadership institution of, and for the entire nation, to reach out and dialogue with the Ghana Medical association as well as other public sector employees, who are pursuing or threatening industrial action against the state.
The Vice-Chancellor of UEW, Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, said the UEW has undergone massive infrastructure development initiated by Management of the University. This include expansion of lecture halls, Residential Accommodation for lectures, staff at all its campuses at Winneba, Kumasi, Ajumako and Ashanti Mampong. He said the UEW has cumulatively graduated a total of over 100,000 teachers and other professionals since its inception in 1996.