UCC’s politically motivated honour to President Akufo-Addo is unethical - MP

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak, has fired another salvo at the University University of Cape Coast for conferring on President Akufo-Addo a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Dr. Apaak, who is a Member of Parliament for Builsa South said, the move by the school was unethical and politically motivated.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy degree by the University of Cape Coast.

The school honoured him for several projects in the educational sector, especially the Free SHS program.

Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the school, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong said despite the economic hardship, Akufo-Addo still made the Free SHS vision a dream come true.

One of the boldest decisions taken by His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo as president was to introduce the Free SHS despite the huge financial implications on the economy and uncertainties..,” he said.

The conferment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree on President Akufo-Addo, automatically makes him (Akufo-Addo) an alumnus of the institute, he disclosed.

“….by the conferment of this degree on the president, he becomes an alumnus of theUCC and the second to occupy the high office of president of Ghana. The first being former president Kufuor,” he stated.

But Dr. Apaak, who had slammed the school for the decision to confer on the President the honour opined that the school was politically influenced.

He said such honours are given to leaders who have distinguished themselves and even after leaving office and not when they still occupy their seats.

”Unethical! Ethically honorary doctorates to political personalities like Presidents in their own countries are after they have left office. Presidents appoint people to University councils making it easy to influence the award of such degrees to oneself.”

He insisted that the free SHS for which he was honoured is facing challenges of overcrowding in schools, lack of funding, poor teaching and learning for the students.