There’s a grand scheme to erase my legacy – Prof Aryeetey

Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana Professor Ernest Aryeetey is alleging that there is a grand scheme by some individuals to wipe out his legacy.

The 62-year-old economist, who served as VC of the nation’s premier University for six years, has been accused by a Deputy Health Minister, Kingsley Aboagye-Gyedu, of colluding with two other individuals to register the UG Medical Center in his name.

“It will shock Ghanaians to hear that a limited liability company such as the facility has been registered in the names of Rojo Mettle Nunoo, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey and one Prof. Aaron Nii Lante Lawson in their respective names,” Mr Aboagye-Gyedu alleged.

This latest controversy comes barely three months after some media reports suggested that the Former Vice Chancellor supervised the signing of a $64 million agreement with a company, Africa Integras, without doing due diligence during his tenure.

Responding to the latest allegation against him by the Deputy Health Minister, Prof Aryeetey told Media General’s Kwakye Afreh-Nuamah: “There is a lot of effort being made to rewrite my legacy. There is a lot of effort going on in Ghana to say Ernest Aryeetey is not as great as you guys thought he was. A lot of effort is going into it, both at the University, the Ministry of Health and other places.”

Asked who he thinks is behind the attempts to dent his image, Prof Aryeetey said: “That is what is going on, the story you told earlier [about allegation about signing a $64 million agreement Africa Integras] came from the University, didn’t it? So yes, there is a lot of rewriting being done. But my response is, history has already been written.”

Professor Ernest Aryeteey is noted for undertaking some drastic reforms during his tenure as Vice Chancellor of the nation’s premier university.

For example, he introduced the controversial decongestion policy, that was aimed at easing the burden on residential facilities in the institution’s traditional halls.