Ho Poly smuggled into technical varsities list

Some former students of Cape Coast Polytechnic have accused Mr. Okudjeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of tertiary education of sidelining the polytechnic when some of the polytechnics were being converted into technical universities.

According to them, the minister chose Ho Polytechnic ahead of Cape Coast Polytechnic.

Addressing a news conference at Cape Coast recently, the group said government’s decision to convert polytechnics into technical universities was welcome news, because it would help improve facilities and promote staff development and retention.

They noted that since the conversion was to be done in phases, six polytechnics were selected for the first phase.

Quoting the Technical Committee report, the group alleged that Cape Coast Polytechnic was ranked 6th and as a result qualified for conversion into a technical university in the first phase of the programme.

The former students said they were surprised to hear later that Cape Coast Poly had been left out.

The former students contended that Ho Polytechnic was smuggled onto the list of Six Polytechnics to be converted, even though it ranked 7th and came after the Cape Coast Polytechnic.

According to the group, the selection of Ho Polytechnic was politically motivated and is borne out of tribalism and segregation.

This situation, they said, is unacceptable. They, therefore, called on the president to hold on with making any statement regarding the selection and conversion of Polytechnics to Technical Universities in his State of the Nation Address, until the matter is resolved.