Franklin Cudjoe and Francis Asenso-Boakye
Franklin Cudjoe has taken a swipe at a former Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, over his claim that the John Dramani Mahama government is doing everything possible to erase the legacy of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, following a move to revert the names of universities renamed by the former president.
In a post shared on Facebook, on May 8, 2025, Cudjoe, who is the Founder and President of IMANI Africa, asserted that the move to revert to the original names of the universities was not wrong.
He added that the people of Ghana know the legacy of Akufo-Addo, which is why they voted out his party during the 2024 general elections.
“You would have been right if they were renaming these universities after undeserving people. They just did the right thing… to their original names!! Nana’s legacy is known by all voters who spoke up on December 7th.
“He should have built some and we would care less if he named them after deities,” Franklin Cudjoe added.
Francis Asenso-Boakye, who is the Member of Parliament for Bantama, accused the ruling NDC of deliberately attempting to erase the legacy of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by reversing the renaming of certain universities in the country.
Asenso-Boakye described the plan by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, through the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to reverse the action by the then-Akufo-Addo government, as “petty” and “deeply regrettable”.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, May 8, 2025, he asserted that the government’s actions reveal a sense of desperation, accusing them of engaging in unpatriotic behaviour that undermines efforts toward nation-building.
“The NDC government’s plan to reverse the renaming of public universities by the Akufo-Addo administration is not only petty; it is deeply regrettable. It reflects a desperate attempt to undo the legacy of the previous government, at the expense of national unity and progress,” he said.
The former Minister of Roads and Highways also argued that the public universities were renamed in honour of notable personalities who made significant contributions to the nation’s development.
He cautioned that such actions could set a dangerous precedent for the country.
He further warned that if every successive government follows the same path, it could undermine national unity and hinder the country’s progress.
“These institutions were named after distinguished Ghanaians whose contributions to our nation are undeniable. To now erase that honour is not only disrespectful but also dangerous,” he stated.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, in a video clip from a recent public engagement, announced the move by the government to revert the names of some of the institutions renamed by Akufo-Addo.
He explained that the reversal of the names of the institutions does not mean that the people they were renamed after are undeserving.
“Some names of some public universities were changed and renamed during the tenure of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. There is a policy shift. There will be changes in the names of the universities that were renamed.
“It is not to fail to recognise the contribution of any individual or their standing or undermine the legacy of any statesman or diminish their contributions to our national effort,” he explained.
Haruna Iddrisu added that he will soon be sending a bill to Parliament to change the names of the institutions before proceeding to name them.
“I will introduce a bill in Parliament that will seek to rename some of the public universities in Ghana, including the Dr Abdullah Salifu Technical University back to Tamale Technical University. Simon Dombo University will be renamed, CK Tadem University of Technology and Applied Sciences will be renamed, and Dr Ephraim Amu Technical University will be renamed back to Ho University,” he said.
He added: “I’m still engaging with traditional authorities, engaging with members in academia and alumnae associations, students and civil society to make that determination. But those who deserve national honours will still keep their national honour.”
View Franklin Cudjoe’s post below:
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