The Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has denounced allegations made by Mr Johnson Asiedu, the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress suggesting that he as the Minister of Education denied the University of Energy and Natural Resources to obtain a medical school.
In a statement released on Thursday, November 30 2023, the Press Aide to the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Kofi Afena Abrefa refuted the allegations made by Mr Asiedu Nketiah and described it as untrue.
According to the statement issued by Mr Kofi Afena Abrefa, the Press Aide to the Energy Minister, the decision to grant a medical school to public university does not fall under the Ministry of Education but rather under the purview of the Ghana National Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), formerly the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), and the National Accreditation Board.
“Energy Minister and former Minister for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO has become aware of statements attributed to the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a Ghana Web publication of 30th November 2023, to the effect he as Education Minister, blocked the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Sunyani from obtaining a medical school. Whilst this statement exposes the NDC National Chairman as not well-informed on matters about the subject matter of tertiary education in Ghana, it is important to refute the same”
Kofi Afena Abrefa
Mr Afena Abrefa further explained that the Executive Director of the Ghana National Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), formerly the National Council for Teacher Education under Dr Matthew Opoku Prempreh as the Minister of Education, Professor Salifu Mohammed, was appointed by Former President John Dramani Mahama, hence Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh couldn’t have had any influence on such decision if in any case such decision was made.
He thus accused the National Democratic Congress National Chairman, Johnson Asidu Nketiah of failing to get his facts right in his accusation against Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh.
Clarifications On The Establishment Of UENR Medical School
Moreover, Mr Kofi Afena Abrefa indicated that there was no time that a decision to establish a Medical School for the University of Energy and Natural Resources was brought to the attention of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as a Minister of Education.
He emphasized that the process of establishing public universities and the accreditation of its programmes and courses is never a determination of the Minister of Education.
In addition, Mr Afena Abrefa noted that while it believes Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s assertions were mainly born out of mischief and propaganda against the person of Honorable Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh due to the electioneering campaign of the 2024 general elections, it shall pardon him for his display of ignorance on the subject matter.
Mr Afena Abrefa thus urged the general public to reject Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s allegations and treat them with the utmost contempt it deserves.
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, in a media interview on November 28, 2023, accused the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, of denying the people of Sunyani the opportunity to have a medical school at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR).
According to Mr Nketiah, the minister purportedly argued that the University of Energy and Natural Resources was primarily focused on energy-related disciplines, and therefore, a medical school was not within the scope of the university’s mandate.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah thus expressed his discontent with the position of the former Education Minister, stating that the university had even admitted first-year medical students before the whole arrangement was truncated.
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