The Navrongo Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in the Upper East Region is to be named after the late Clement Kubindiwo Tedam, for his contribution to national development, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced.
He said the government had already initiated the move to make the University autonomous and that when the various Parliamentary processes were completed, it would be named “C. K Tedam University for Technical and Applied Science.”
The President made the announcement when he paid his last respect to the deceased, who was laid to rest in his hometown at Paga, in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region on Saturday.
The late Tedam, one of the founding members of the New Patriotic Party and former Member of Council of State, died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital at the age of 94 on April 25, after a short illness.
Paying glowing tribute, President Akufo-Addo stressed that as Member of Parliament, Commissioner for Local Government and Member of the Council of State, the late C.K Tedam served the nation very well by working with others against great odds, to entrench the values of respect for the rule of law, individual liberties and human rights and the principle of democratic accountability in the body politics of the nation.
President Akufo-Addo described the late C.K Tedam as “a legendary of the NPP”, and stated that he became an important activist of the United Party, the Progress Party, the Popular Front Partyand the NPP respectively, and played an integral and vibrant part in the development of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia Political tradition.
“Age did not diminish his commitment to the cause of the NPP. He was very active and influential to the growth of the party and served graciously on several committees of the party and as Chairman of the Council of Elders.
“He played an invaluable and unforgettable role in preserving the stability and unity of the party when it became embroiled in a series of unnecessary disputes that sought deliberately to undermine its coherence,” the President intimated.
The President indicated that the late founding member had left a big void not only in the NPP family and in the Ghanaian nation, but also in his personal life as President as “he was the constant and consistent source of good, invaluable counsel to me. I will miss him dearly.”
Preaching a sermon before the interment of the deceased, the Most Rev. Philip Naameh, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, who is also the Archbishop of Tamale, entreated all Ghanaians to emulate the good virtues of peace and unity exhibited by the late C.K Tedam.
He stressed on the need for all citizens to bury their political differences and to support the ruling government to implement its programmes and policies, including the One Village, One Dam Policy to create jobs for the teeming youth.
Among the gathering were the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Ministers of States, Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, party functionaries and traditional rulers.
They filed past the body draped in the national colours and laid at the Paga Sport Park, to pay their last respect, before the interment.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, PAGA
