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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that the Navrongo campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality in the Upper East Region will be called the C.K Tedam University for Technical and Applied Sciences.

According to the President there is currently a bill in Parliament to make each of the three campuses of the University for Development Studies autonomous universities and when that is passed then the Navrongo Campus of UDS will assume the new name announced after the veteran politician who passed away recently.

The President was speaking at a state burial ceremony held at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District for the late Clement Kubindiwo Tedam who died in April 2019 at the age of 94.

The late C.K. Tedam is held in high esteem in the region as being among the fore-bearers who made conscious efforts to get modern education accepted and entrenched as part of the culture of the people of the area.

Busy Paga

Over the weekend, his remains was interred in his hometown Paga after a rich royal and state burial rites at the C.K. Tedam Primary School Park.

The late C.K Tedam was born on 25 November, 1925 and died at the age of 94 at the Nyaho Hospital in Accra leaving behind six children and a wife.

Early Life

The late Tedam is counted among the early scholars and politicians from the Kassena-Nankana area who became a great source of inspiration for many young people from the area to accept education as a way of breaking the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment.

Born at a time when education was reserved for the royals and the privileged, the late C.K. Tedam had the opportunity to be enrolled in school as part of the second batch of boys selected from Paga in 1939, because he was a royal.

He is said to have shown signs of leadership and statesmanship even at his tender age and was so quick to devote himself for community mobilization and service.

He was fondly referred to as “Atedam” meaning ‘I speak with strength’.

Political Journey

His involvement in politics did not come as a surprise and therefore opened the way for people with leadership qualities in the area to choose politics as a channel to serve their communities and country.

Until his death, C.K. Tedam was the only surviving founding member of the then Northern People’s Party (NPP) in the 1950 to 60s. He was also very instrumental in the formation and growth of the United Party, the Progress Party and the Popular Front Party.

Late C.K. Tedam was a Member of the Council of State from 2005 to 2008. He played a critical role in the formation of the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) and helped nurture it to its current state, rising to the position of Chairman of the Council of Elders until his death.

Big Loss

President Akufo-Addo in a tribute described C.K Tedam as “great Ghanaian patriot, outstanding statesman and a stalwart and legend of the NPP.”

“Age did not diminish his commitment to the cause of the NPP and despite his advanced age he was very active in the affairs of the party until the very sad end,” the President said.

According to the President, C.K Tedam served graciously on various committees and his days as a Chairman of the Council of Elders of the party will be missed, because he played his role distinctly and as a result brought stability and unity into the party before departing from earth.

Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye in a tribute referred to him as “Senior man” because C.K Tedam respected everyone who came in contact with him in Parliament and was a committed democrat, nationalist and a party man worthy of emulation.

Huge Attendance

Almost all dignitaries in the country particularly the NPP were in Paga to bid him farewell.

Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Freddy Blay, National and Regional Executives the NPP, Chief of Staff Madam Akosua Frema Opare and Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo , Defense Minister, Dominic Nutiwul, Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Obed Akwa, the Inspector General of Police, Asante Appietu, Minister of Trade and Industries, Alan Kyeremanteng and Minister of Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe, among others were present at the funeral which attracted many mourners.

Tight Security

Considering the fact that Paga is a border town and recent threats of possible terrorist attacks in Ghana, there was heavy Military and Police presence at the funeral grounds and the entire Paga town in general.

Mourners had to be searched thoroughly by the security agents before entering the funeral grounds.

Sammy Awuku Show

The national organiser of the NPP, Sammi Awuku during the funeral on Saturday became the talk of Paga due to the exemplary leadership he displayed.

During the burial service for the statesman, rains accompanied by wild windstorm interrupted proceedings for some minutes and to the surprise of the gathering, Mr. Awuku, assisted by the party’s National Youth Organizer, Nana Boakye aka Nana B, cleaned and re-arranged hundreds of chairs with a few others for visitors to find a place to sit.

They also led the youth to make sure the canopies were re-fixed for the programme to proceed smoothly.

Mr. Awuku, who was named “Youth Youth” by the late Tedam had a personal touch with the statesman and always made sure the old man was well catered for until his demise.