Akufo-Addo must apologize for calling critics of draft Uni Bill mischievous – Minority

The Minority in Parliament is demanding an immediate apology from President Akufo Addo for drecsribing critics of the Public Universities Bill as mischief peddlers.

Several members of Acaddemia such as former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, Prof. Akilagba Sawyerr and Prof. Ernest Ayettey and former Education Minister Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang have all kicked against the Bill accusing government of trying to control governance of public universities.

But addressing a congregation at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, (UPSA) President Akufo Addo argued that the criticisms are unfounded.

But the speaking to Starr News, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak said the President must apologize for his outburst.

“That is yet another example of a President who is intolerant who is opposed to divergent opinion and I want to remind Ghanaians of the same President making similar pronouncement when the Ghana-US agreement had become a very topical issue he used similar language and yet this is a President who wants us to clap for him. He likes to tout his credentials as a quitesential democrat who believes in the rule of law.

“This is the President who has asked us to be citizens and yet if we play our role as bonafide citizens of Ghana this is the type of language he uses. How could you describe all these emminent academics as presenting flimsy arguments born out of mischief. What does Prof. Ernest Ayettey stand to gain, what does Prof. Akilagba Sawyerr stand to gain, what they want is to make sure that the institutions that they went trough, led, help to build and has brought them where they are don’t see any retrogression. That is their interest which is in the interest of Ghana. For the President to call them names, a man who has never taught in a lecture hall, who has never been a head of department, who has never been a pro Vice Chancellor. who has never been a Vice Chancellor clearly he owes them an unqualified apology and this is not acceptable in a democracy.”