PROFESSOR NAANA JANE OPOKU-AGYEMANG HASN’T BEEN CELEBRATED ENOUGH.
I have followed keenly the exploits of the Hon. Professor as both a student and a teacher, of course during her days as the education minister. In this article, I would like to categorize what I know about her as the education minister.
BASIC EDUCATION
Under her tenure as the education minister, a whole lot of schools under trees were eliminated and replaced, close to 2000 classrooms for such schools were built. This also culminated expansion of infrastructure in already existing schools. For those who might want to brush this aside as propaganda can check the 2016 budget statement made available to parliament of Ghana by the then president H.E John Dramani Mahama. As at 2016, a total of 1,714 of such schools were completely eliminated, this can be found on the page 124 item 651 of the budget statement.
SECOND CYCLE INSTITUTIONS (SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS)
Under the Prof’s watch as the education minister, Senior High Schools saw massive structural and administrative improvements. In fact, Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) was a recognized body that took part in the decision making in how the schools should be managed. Today, it is almost like an informatory body with no voice. CHASS cannot even make proposals as to how schools are managed. The flexibility in the the management of SHSs has been thrown to the dogs.
Also, Prof Naana Jane made history in the number of new Community Day Senior High Schools that were built. It is of public knowledge that she awarded 123 new schools to contractors. As at the time she was leaving office, About 50 of those schools were ready for used. That is a massive achievement. Apart from Nkrumah, I am not sure any government has been able to build even 30 SHSs in four years.
TERTIARY EDUCATION
In colleges of education, where I was a student at the time, the number of public colleges of education were 38 as at 2013, before she left office as the education minister, she successfully built and converted some other ones to increase the number to 44.
In the then Polytechnics, she ensured that almost all of them were converted to Technical Universities before exiting office as the minister. Massive expansions were also made in the Technical Universities.
In the Universities, she ensured the completions of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development – Somanya, University of Energy and Natural Resources- Sunyani and University of Health and Allied Sciences were completed before she left office.
There are a lot I am unable to state right now for purposes of avoiding lengthy writeup. It is also worth noting that she did not have any proven corruption allegation against her. On this day of the International Women’s Day, President John Mahama gave us the best, more than what we ever imagined we could ask for. As an NDC member you have to be proud! She has a great record and CV as a running mate.
Compiled by
joachim.jabah@stu.ucc.edu.gh
