President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Professor Ernest Abotsi as the new Chairman of the Governing Council of Accra Technical University (ATU).
At a brief ceremony on July 22, where the Council was sworn in, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu tasked them to prioritize technical and vocational training as the core mandate of the institution.
The Minister expressed confidence in the newly appointed Chairman, Professor Ernest Abotsi, to provide strong leadership and direction during what he described as a crucial time for the University.
Currently, the University is operating without a Vice Chancellor—an absence that has negatively affected academic work, policy implementation, and the timely completion of key infrastructure projects.
“I am also aware of a number of uncompleted projects in various schools, I have asked GETFund to give us an inventory of uncompleted projects across the country in order that we will have a plan to get them completed,” Mr Iddrisu said.
The Minister urged the new Council to expedite efforts to complete stalled infrastructure and refocus the University’s mission on hands-on, skills-based education.
“Now we have the polytechnics becoming universities, what do we do for the category of young people who are without the entry qualification into technical university but need to be equipped with some training that assures them of a livelihood and gives them an opportunity to make a contribution to the development of our country,” he tasked.
Professor Abotsi, while assuring the Minister of the Council’s dedication, also raised concerns over ongoing litigation on campus, which he said could hamper progress.
“What we do not want is that a Management will be put in place and what we get is accusations and counter accusations, we don’t want that. And I think that Minister, you have clearly hammered that home,” he stated.
Prof Abotsi noted that, “now if you need someone to perform a technical work, you invariably have to go to our neighbouring countries. I don’t think that should happen, and we cannot have an institution like Accra Technical University and continue suffering that of the situation of unemployment so it is important we deploy the resources of the university to its optimum use.”
Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi is the Dean of the UPSA Law School and an Associate Professor of law. Prior to his appointment, he was the immediate past Dean of the GIMPA Law School-a position he held for six (6) years. Dean Abotsi is also a practicing lawyer of over twenty years standing at the Ghanaian Bar, a public intellectual, and also the chairman of the Ghana Forum of the Africa Bar Association.
Dean Abotsi holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree and Qualifying Certificate of Law from the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law respectively, as well as a Master of Laws Degree from the Harvard Law School, and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Milan, Italy.
He is widely consulted by the government of Ghana, leading agencies and constitutional bodies in Ghana, the private sector as well as key international and intergovernmental bodies, including the IMF. In addition, Dean Abotsi has been a visiting scholar and guest lecturer in leading European and American universities including Oxford University, Fordham Law School, Indiana Law School and the University of Milan, Biccoca, Italy.
As the new Council assumes its responsibilities, all eyes will be on their efforts to steer Accra Technical University toward fulfilling its mandate of producing skilled, industry-ready graduates.
