Let’s pull country back to sanity — Rev. Prof. Adow Obeng
It will require the collective effort of all Ghanaians to pull the country back to moral sanity. The President of the Presbyterian University College, Ghana (PUCG), Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng, who made the point, said: “Educational, media, traditional, religious, political and opinion leaders have to acknowledge the reality of the problem and begin to take concrete and selfless measures to address it.”
Addressing the third graduation ceremony of the PUCG at Akropong Akuapem last Friday, he gave an assurance that the university would continue to play its part ”by training the head, hands and heart of students”.
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A total of 348 students made up of 203 males and 145 females graduated in Master of Education in Educational Studies, Master of Arts in International Development Studies, Master of Science in Environmental Health and Sanitation, Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, and Master of Science in Financial Risk Management
In addition to the five programmes, the university is running a sixth programme, M.Phil. (Educational Studies), which started in January this year.
The university has also received approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to run a Master of Public Health (MPH) programme.
Attitude
Reflecting on the theme chosen for the graduation ceremony - Living Our Values - Rev. Prof. Obeng posed the question: “What is the singular major problem facing Ghanaians and Ghana?”
“I did not find the answer in science and technology, not in the economy, or governance but the answer that kept popping up in my mind is attitude.”
“Without mincing words I would say that the Ghanaian attitude is bad and has adversely affected every fabric of our society. It is the cause of carnage on our roads, it is the cause of corruption in our country, it is the cause of poor work ethics and thus low productivity, it is the cause of craving for wealth irrespective of the damage it does to others and the country, it is the cause of serious sanitation problems in our cities and the cause of degradation of the environment,” he said.
Rev. Prof. Obeng said those who attended Presbyterian Salem schools could testify to the discipline, respect for authority and hard work that they were exposed to which left imprints on them for future success in life.
Churches’ failure
Rev. Prof. Obeng said some of the churches had lost the moral high ground to inculcate values because their major concern now was money and not salvation.
“In fact, some of them fit the description that Jesus Christ gave to the Jerusalem Temple in his day ‘a den of robbers’ and they continually take advantage of gullible Ghanaians,” he stated.
Child protection project
Rev. Prof. Obeng said the PUCG had signed a collaborative agreement with Bielefied University to roll out a child protection project.
The project, which involves three countries - Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda - will span a period of six years and will be funded by the Emmy Noether Programme of Germany.
He said the project has a component for provision of scholarship for staff members who were interested in pursuing PhD in the area of child protection.
“PUCG intends to set up a Child Protection Centre, three years into the project. The centre will carry out research and run postgraduate programmes in child protection and related areas,” he said.
Congratulations
The university president congratulated the graduating students on the successful completion of their programmes of study and reminded them of the need to portray the values instilled in them.
Rev. Prof. Obeng was of the conviction that the graduate programmes were contributing to the development of quality human capital in the country.
He acknowledged a donation of GH¢250,000 from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana to the university last month in addition to GH¢500,000 received last year.
He said the university was considering setting up a Students Fees Office that would be charged with the responsibility of raising funds from philanthropists, corporate entities and interested persons to support needy students at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Present were the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Chairperson of the University, Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo , and the Clerk of the General Assembly of PCG, Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor.
