Akufo-Addo applauds decision to name UENR after Prime Minister Busia

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has applauded the decision by the Governing Council of the University of Energy and Natural Resources after Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, Prime Minister of the Government of the 2nd Republic.

The decision was taken by Governing Council of the University on 3rd August, 2018, in accordance with the Statutes of the University.

“The decision is an excellent one, which will receive the blessing of the President of the Republic, so that, once the parliamentary process has been completed, this University will, thereafter, be called the K.A. Busia University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The President continued, “It is wholly fitting that this great man, who viewed freedom as a great ally of progress, should be properly honoured by a grateful posterity, and, especially, by citizens of his native Bono Region.”

According to President Akufo-Addo, Dr. Busia believed that individual freedoms were not just about the space and ability to speak freely, associate and assemble freely, and to vote freely, seminal as they are, but also about their capacity to stimulate enterprise, creativity and innovation, and, thereby, provide the inspiration for rapid economic development.

“I am sure that you can appreciate what a special moment it will be for me to be the President who will have the privilege to assent to this decision. Long may we cherish his memory!”

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Saturday, 10th August, 2019, when he delivered the keynote speech at the 4th Graduation Ceremony of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, in Sunyani, in the Bono Region.

The President assured the gathering that his Government is determined to promote tertiary education in the country as a means of equipping the citizens with the tools vital for national development, adding that “we will continue to support institutions such as U.E.N.R.”

Government, he assured, will continue to initiate policies and programmes to enhance the capacity of graduates from the country’s tertiary institutions to contribute to the socio-economic transformation of the nation.

“It is my expectation, and that of the Ghanaian people, that U.E.N.R will continue to produce graduates who are moulded to take on the opportunities and possibilities for higher achievement, through innovation and creativity, in today’s science and technology-led, knowledge-driven global economy, and who will, thereby, help generate prosperity for the mass of our people in our time,” the President stressed.

Whilst urging the 2019 graduating class to impact the world positively, he reminded them of the role they have to play in the development of the country, and in the realization of the vision of moving Ghana to a situation beyond aid.

The flagship programmes rolled out by government, such as “1-District-1-Factory”, “One-Village-One-Dam”, “Planting for Food and Jobs”, in addition to the exploitation of our strategic resources of bauxite and iron ore deposits, amongst others, President Akufo-Addo said, are geared towards building a Ghana Beyond Aid.

The President applauded the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) for bringing its year-long impasse with Government to an end.

“Last Wednesday, an agreement was reached with UTAG, and I would like to express appreciation to members of UTAG for their show of solidarity and commitment to the nation’s development,” President Akufo-Addo said.