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A Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, has confessed to pursuing an LLB programme with the University of London External Degree at the Zenith College in Accra, the nation�s capital. The 28-year-old Deputy Minister however denied being a full-time student at the college situated at the La Trade Fair Site. Stressing that he is a part-time student at the college, Okudzeto-Ablakwa, who has carved a niche of notoriety for himself with his unwarranted comments on national issues, said he only attends classes in the evenings, after work. He told Kessben FM in an interview on Monday morning that his schooling does not affect his official duties in any way.This, according to him, is because he attends lectures in the evenings, after work, and has a flexible arrangement with the school authorities that gives him ample time to concentrate on his official duties.Okudzeto-Ablakwa disclosed that he was advised to upgrade his knowledge by some ex-ministers in ex-President Kufuor�s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. The former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) however failed to mention the names of the ex-ministers who advised him to further his studies whilst working as a deputy minister.He noted that he has committed no crime by furthering his education whilst being at post as deputy minister because he is not the first person to have taken that decision. Okudzeto-Ablakwa contended that several ministers in ex-President Kufuor�s administration also schooled whilst they were at post as ministers and deputy ministers. He expressed surprise that the issue has attracted this much media attention, saying it is only proper for ministers serving the interest of the people to upgrade their knowledge so they can effectively discharge their duties.When asked how much he was paying as school fees, Okudzeto-Ablakwa refused to comment, stressing that it is a matter he wants to keep confidential. He was also silent on media reports that he attends lectures with armed security personnel who wait for him at the car park, when the host of the programme asked for a comment on the issue.Okudzeto-Ablakwa confirmed that his colleague deputy minister at the Information Ministry, James Agyenim-Boateng, is pursuing a full-time law programme at the Ghana School of Law at Makola in Accra. He however denied the claim that Fiifi Kwetey, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, is pursuing a Master�s programme in one of the most expensive universities in the United Kingdom (UK), and that he commutes to London every two weeks for studies. The claim that some deputy ministers in the Mills-led government are combining full-time classes with their ministerial duties and the daunting demands of government business appears to have generated public furor. A section of the public believes that combining full-time classes with demanding ministerial functions will not allow the ministers to fully concentrate on their assigned portfolios.Okudzeto-Ablakwa and James Agyenim-Boateng, both Deputy Ministers at the Ministry of information, and Fiifi Kwetey, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, are said to be furthering their education by taking full-time courses in some tertiary institutions. Whilst Okudzeto-Ablakwa is pursuing an LLB programme at the Zenith College in Accra, his counterpart, James Agyenim-Boateng, is pursuing a professional law degree programme at the Ghana Law School.Okudzeto-Ablakwa is reportedly paying either �3000 plus GH�2,400 for the two-year option or �3000 plus GH�2,600 for the three-year option. On the other hand, when Daily Guide contacted James Agyenim-Boateng for his reaction to the story, he was excessively snobbish and cheeky, choosing to hang up rather than explain how he combines his studies with his ministerial duties.