The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Ernest Aryeetey has dismissed suggestions that he had a frosty relationship with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government during his tenure.
In Professor Aryeetey’s term as Vice Chancellor a controversial decision was taken to set up a toll booth at the Okponglo entrance of the university which raised the ire of some officials of the government after complaints from users of that road.
He has also spoken publicly against government’s conversion of Polytechnics into Technical Universities and about their handling of the Research Fund.
However, speaking at a farewell forum, Professor Aryeetey “thanked the Government of Ghana for the support” it gave the University during his tenure.
He added that despite some opposition to some policies he implemented he had a very cordial relationship with the government while he was Vice Chancellor.
“I know that the general perception out there is that [I] was not in the good books of government.
I would like to disagree with that. I was very much loved by the government and that explains why,” Professor Aryeetey said.
According to him, the support he’s had from government began under the administration of the late president John Evans Atta Mills and resulted in the construction of the University of Ghana Teaching hospital; the largest such hospital in the sub-region.
“Today, the University of Ghana holds the largest teaching hospital in West Africa, I would like to thank the late president Professor John Evans Atta Mills for giving us that hospital simply because we asked for it,” he added.
“We showed him that we could put it to good use and through it make medical and health service education in Ghana the best in the region. This hospital is owned by University of Ghana and we thank the government for it.”
