We must rename UDS after Rawlings despite declining the honour – Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo has called for the University for Development Studies (UDS) to be renamed after the late former President Rawlings.

Despite admitting the former President’s rejection of the idea of naming national edifices after him, Akufo-Addo believes Rawlings deserves that honour.

“He respectfully declined the honour and offer because of his principle not to have national monuments and facilities named after him.”

“Notwithstanding these sentiments and with all due respect to him, it is my strong belief that such an honour should be accorded him,” he said.

Akufo-Addo made the call while addressing congregants of UDS at a graduation ceremony in Tamale, in the Northern Region.

The founder of the NDC and the first President of the Fourth Republic Rawlings died on Thursday, 12 November 2020, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness. He was on admission and was receiving treatment at the facility.

Rawlings was 73 years old.

He played a crucial role in the establishment of the UDS when he used his prize money from the World Food Prize of $50,000 as seed money for its founding.

In October 2013, the school conferred a doctorate degree on Rawlings for his contribution towards the establishment of the university.

Meanwhile, Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, said Rawlings was and remains a “Ghanaian national symbol”.

According to the former Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Rawlings “made us proud here in Africa and all over the world with his charisma and outspokenness.”

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party Rawlings founded is expected to organize a separate funeral for former President.

According to John Asiedu Nketia, the party’s General Secretary, this has become necessary because the NDC felt President Akufo-Addo was doing everything possible to “hijack” the funeral of the late former President.

“Everything about this funeral, so far, depicts an attempt by an opponent to hijack the funeral of the founding father of our political party, and we don’t think the funeral of our party founder ought to be organized somewhere, and we get invited,” Asiedu Nketia told Accra-based Citi FM.