Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has endorsed a decision by the governing council of the Ho Technical University in the Volta Region, to rename the institution after the late Ghanaian Musicologist, Ephraim Amu.
Touting some achievements of Mr. Amu especially his contribution towards Ghanaian Music, the President said his legacy and contribution towards the development of the nation deserves to be honoured for future generations to emulate.
President Akufo-Addo made the remarks in Ho when he graced the Jubilee Celebration of the Ho Technical University.
President Akufo-Addo lauded the decision by the University’s governing council to rename it after Ephraim Amu.
Ephraim Amu was a Ghanaian composer, musicologist and teacher. One of Amu’s compositions, “Yen Ara Asase Ni” has become a nationally acclaimed patriotic song that is performed at national functions.
Ephraim Amu composed several musical pieces, among them are: “Fare thee well” “Mawɔ dɔ na Yesu” “Nkwagye Dwom” “Dwonto” “Yetu Osa” “Israel Hene” “Onipa da wo ho so” “Yaanom Abibirimma” “Adawura abo me” “Samansuo” “Ale-gbegbe” “Mia denyigba lɔ̃lɔ̃ la”
Amu is particularly known for his use of the atenteben, a traditional Ghanaian bamboo flute; he promoted and popularized the instrument throughout the country, and composed music for it.
In 2006, he was honoured when his image was placed on the old 20,000 (2 cedi) currency with ‘Yaa Asantewa’’ watermarked.
He described the late Musicologist as a great Ghanaian cultural icon and a modest man who was proud of the country and determined to promote Ghana’s cultural identity to the outside world.
The President pledged to ascent his signature for approval as soon as the necessary parliamentary process for the renaming is concluded.
“Before I conclude, there is a significant matter I must address, and it relates to the decision taken by the Governing Council of Ho Technical University, in accordance with the Statutes of the University, to rename this institution after Ephraim Amu, the great Ghanaian cultural icon, who asserted that the creative faculty should embrace also the capacity to work with one’s hands,” that’s according to President Akufo-Addo.
Adding that: “This decision is an excellent one, which has received the blessing of the President of the Republic, so that,once the parliamentary process has been completed, this University will, thereafter,be called the Ephraim Amu Technical University, Ho.
“It is wholly fitting that this great, modest man, composer of what easily passes for our unofficial national anthem, Yen Ara Asase Ne, should be properly honoured by a grateful posterity, and, especially, by citizens of his native Volta Region”.
President Akufo-Addo reiterated his government’s commitment to rollout educational policies and programmes to ensure that institutions such as Ho Technical University produce quality human resource for the country’s industrial take off.
The origin of the Ho Technical University began in 1968 when it was established as a Technical Institute with the primary objective of providing pre-technical education for students in the area.
It was in 1986 named a polytechnic though it operated as a second cycle institution until in 1993 when it was upgraded to a fully-fledged tertiary institution by the enactment of PNDC Law 321.
The passage of the Technical University Act 2016 (Act 922) in the country propelled the then Ho Polytechnic to the status of a technical University with the mandate to train competent human resource through skills training and research.
The University currently has five faculties, two schools, an institute, 18 departments, three centres and 18 academic and non-academic units.
The Interim Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Emmanuel Sakyi noted that, though the University has made strides in the field of academia, it is being confronted with challenges distracting it progress.
These include three abandoned GETFund projects and the continuous exit of lecturers and other staff due to the disparity of their conditions of service and their counterparts in traditional universities.
Professor Sakyi therefore appealed to the President to urgently address the issue to ensure that the University achieves its objective to provide quality skilled labour for the country’s industrialization drive.
