If one needed witnesses to gain access to Heaven, I would be the star witness to Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang. From listening and watching her on Radio and TV to working with her in the same ministry; my testimony of the living legend.
I first heard her soothing voice on Radio Gold somewhere in 1996 when she interviewed Former President JJ Rawlings. I never lost truck following her activities especially when she was appointed Vice Chancellor of University of Cape Coast. Indeed, she was brought closer to me when she co-hosted the IEA Presidential debate with the current information minister Hon Kojo Opong Nkrumah. All these while, I continued to admire her and wished Ghana had a lot more of her calibre.
Fast forward, Former President John Dramani Mahama nominated me as Deputy Minister for Education. At this moment, Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang had been vetted and assumed duty as education minister. In effect, I was heading to the same ministry as deputy to the woman that I have been admiring her leadership laurels; this sounds like a miracle right! That was a dream come true. When I first entered her office, she warmly welcomed me and was full of smiles. She treated me as if she knew already!
Well, let me at this juncture share with you whom the good professor really is having worked closely with her at the ministry of education; To begin with, she has excellent human relation and a strong advocate for team work. She demonstrates deep understanding of issues. Indeed, if there were an ideal person who genuinely love others and would at any day anytime place premium on the welfare of others around her, it is Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang. Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang is highly incorruptible and a strong Pan Africanist. Her level of patience coupled with her modesty got me wondered sometimes. I will summarise her attributes to say, the good professor is a transformational leader in our contemporary society.
Let me seize a bit of space to talk about her work attributes and the successes that she chalked at the ministry of education. I will attempt to lay to rest the propaganda that members of NPP are desperately peddling with the sole aim of denting the incredible record of my former boss;
ISSUE OF TEACHER TRAINEE ALLOWANCE CANCELLATION
Since her appointment as running mate to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the NPP issued a statement alleging that Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang unilaterally cancelled the teacher trainee allowances among other things. The facts surrounding this cancellation brouhaha are that, during Former President Kuffour’s regime the ministry of education and other stakeholders in education had begun a process of transforming colleges of education to tertiary institutions capable of awarding degrees. The conversion processes in 2008 gave birth to the education Act, Act778(2008). Clause 1(4) of the Act made colleges of education tertiary institutions. The implications of this Act is what eventually brought the scraping of the allowance and replacing it with the students loan scheme. Following the change of government in 2008, the government of NDC continued the processes. During this time, the conference of principals of colleges of education and colleges of education teachers association as well as the students themselves were putting enormous pressure on the government and at some instances threatening legal actions to implement the Act passed. Eventually, in 2013 at National Education Annual Review (NESAR), all the stakeholders in education comprising of CSOs, Donor partners, Acadamia agreed to the request of the conference of principals of colleges of education. Upon attaining that status as tertiary institutions, they would henceforth be treated as such. It is common knowledge in Ghana that, students in tertiary institutions in Ghana do not receive allowances.
It must be added that, implementation of the Act was not all gloomy as the naysayers are desperately trying to make it look. It is through the implementation of this Act that made it possible for teachers from colleges of education to do top up courses to be awarded with degree instead of having to go and do full time 4 year course at university to get degree.
Other achievements of Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang includes;
● Secured grant of GHC102 million from Japanese government. This fund was used to enhance teaching and learning in all 38 colleges of education in Ghana. This program was dubbed T-TEL.
● Under the watch of Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, the quota system which was the prevailing status quo was abolished. This paved way for a lot of students get access to college of education. This is evident in that, enrolment in colleges of education rose from 9,000 to 15,400. The burden of parents having to pay huge monies as bribe to get admission for the wards was reduced to the minimum.
● Under her leadership, there was unprecedented infrastructure development in the colleges of education. The old looking building that characterised our colleges gave way to modern buildings.
OTHER MAJOR THINGS
● Operationalisation of the 3 agencies set up under the education Act, Act778(2008). Namely; National Inspectorate Board (NIB), National Teaching Council(NTC) and NCCA.
● Teacher absenteeism which was a major headache in our schools was reduced from as from 27% to 7% by 2016.
● 24 ultra modern District Education offices were build and handed over. President Akuffo Addo’s hometown, Kyebi benefited from this project.
● She secured $156m for Secondary Education
Improvement programme(SEIP).
● $24m Kuwait fund for rehabilitation of existing 26 SHS.
● Procurement of Core textbooks for all students in SHS. My checks have revealed that the much touted Free SHS students are currently using those textbooks.
● Supervised the construction of Ho University of Health and Allied Sciences(UHAS).
Conversion of Polytechnics into Technical Universities.
● Prof Nana Jane under her tenure got parliament to pass Act898(2015) which gave birth to university of Environmental and sustainable development been sited in the eastern region. She did only laid the legal grounds for the establishment of the university but also secured funding to the tune of 45 million pounds equivalent to 50 million dollars.
● Supervised the construction of 124 Community SHS also known as E-Blocks.
● Under her leadership Ghana received the ultimate best performance award from WAEC and WASSCE for 4 consecutive times.
Infact, it may take me a lot more days to put together all the achievements of Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang at the ministry of education. I will try and compile the part 2 of her achievements in the coming weeks. Hopefully, the 3 months pay policy which even the lay man knows was the auditor general’s directive to MDAs for purposes of preventing payroll malfeasance which was rampant, will be dealt with extensively in my next chronicle.
With all these achievements as a minister, it is evident that, given the mandate as Vice President to the tried and tested incorruptible John Dramani Mahama, Ghana will be the best place to live in this continent. The calamities that we are witnessing in all sectors of the economy are largely attributable to poor leadership of President Akuffo Addo and Dr Mamudu Bawumia. The time to salvage Ghana is now or never!
I leave you here! See you again next time.
Hon Alexander Kyeremeh
Former Deputy Education Minister