Garden City University introduces new Vice-Chancellor, Council to Asantehene

Management of Garden City University has officially introduced its newly constituted University Council and newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Kwasi Ofori, to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The 21-member University Council is chaired by Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, a former Pro Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Other members include Albert Acquah, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, former Senior Presidential Advisor on Health to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Dr Charles Nsiah, a chartered accountant and financial consultant who also serves as Finance Officer at KNUST.

Introducing the delegation to the Asantehene on Friday, May 9, 2026, Professor Owusu-Dabo said the visit was also intended to honour the monarch on his 76th birthday.

“We are here to congratulate Otumfuo on his birthday and to thank him for his continuous guidance and support to our institution over the years,” he stated.

Professor Owusu-Dabo noted that the university has benefited immensely from the wisdom and leadership of the Asantehene throughout its 25 years of operation.

“Your guidance has contributed significantly to the success story of Garden City University, and we remain grateful for your fatherly role in the development of the institution,” he said.

The Council Chairman used the occasion to formally invite Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the investiture ceremony of Professor Eric Kwasi Ofori as Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The ceremony is scheduled for July 8, 2026, at the university’s campus at Kwabre Kenyasi in the Ashanti Region.

“We will be highly honoured if Your Majesty graces the occasion and blesses this important milestone in the life of the university,” he added.

The university delegation also briefed the Asantehene on the ongoing construction of a 100-bed teaching hospital on the university campus to support the training of healthcare professionals.

Officials said the project will enhance practical medical training and contribute to improved healthcare delivery in the country.

The delegation further acknowledged the role played by the Asantehene in the university’s attainment of a Presidential Charter in June 2024, which granted the institution full university status.

According to the officials, the support and encouragement of Otumfuo were instrumental in achieving that milestone.

Responding to the delegation, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II thanked the university officials for the honour and commended the institution for maintaining high academic standards.

“I am happy that the university continues to uphold quality education and discipline,” the Asantehene said.

He further charged the new Vice-Chancellor and the Council to safeguard the integrity of the institution, adding, “You must ensure that the standards and reputation of the university are sustained for future generations, and I will support you in every possible way.”