Claim: NDC built all public universities in Ghana

Source: Former President John Mahama

Verdict: FALSE

Researched Gifty Tracy Aminu

Ghana’s former President John Mahama claims his political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) built all public universities in Ghana. The claim has since been published by multiple online media platforms (here, here, here, here & here).

“Every public university was initiated and built by us,” he said during an address to party supporters, chiefs, and students in Zuarungu, Upper East Region on February 3, 2024.

But is the claim true?

Fact-Check

Checks by GhanaFact show the presidential candidate of the NDC made a similar claim in July 2023, on the popular satirical programme, KSM show. He said between minutes 29:08 to 29:28:

“We have built all the public universities in this country,” he stated.

However, checks from publicly available records show not all public universities in Ghana were initated and built by the National Democratic Congress.

Here is a table showing the list of public universities in Ghana and their years of establishment

Public Universities Year of Establishment
University of Ghana (UG) The University of Ghana was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast on the recommendation of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the then-British colonies.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), formerly Kumasi College of Technology, was established by a Government Ordinance in 1951 and transformed into a full-fledged university in 1952.
University Cape Coast (UCC)

 

 The University of Cape Coast was established in October 1962 as a University College and placed in a special relationship with the University of Ghana, Legon.
University of Education, Winneba (UEW) The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) was established in September 1992 as a University College under PNDC Law 322.
University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa (UMAT) The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) started as the Tarkwa Technical Institute (TTI) on November 3, 1952. It was officially commissioned by His Excellency the Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Charles Noble Arden Clarke, on October 7, 1953.

Meanwhile, after several transformations, on November 3, 2004, the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana passed the bill on the University of Mines and Technology into an Act of Parliament.
University of Development Studies (UDS) The University for Development Studies, Tamale, was established in 1992 by the government of Ghana under the Jerry John Rawlings administration.
Ghana Communication Technology University (GTTU) Formerly Ghana Telecom Training Centre (GTTC). GTTC was established in 1948 by the Post and Telecommunications Department as a telecommunications training school by the then-British administration.
University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) The University of Professional Studies (UPSA),   formerly the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), was birthed in 1965 as a private business professional institution.

The Institution was taken over by the government in 1978 by the Institute of Professional Studies Decree, 1979 (SMCD 200).
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) It was established in 1961 as a joint Ghana Government/United Nations Special Fund Project
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) It was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 828), which received presidential approval in December 2011 by the John Evans Atta Mills administration.
University of Environment and Sustainable Development The university was established by the UESD Act 2015 (Act 898) during the tenure of President John Dramani Mahama and inaugurated on August 5, 2020, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
University of Energy and Natural Resources The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 830, 2011, on December 31, 2011, under the administration of John Evans Atta Mills.
The Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Studies The SDD-UBIDS was established by the Government of Ghana in 2019 and given a mandate by Act 1001 of 2019. This university emerged from the former University for Development (UDS), Wa Campus, established by the Jerry John Rawlings administration.
Akenten Appiah Menka University of Training Skills and Entrepreneur Development The Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) was established on August 27, 2020, under Act 1026 of 2020 of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.

However, the university traces its roots to the College of Technology Education, Kumasi (COLTEK) and the College of Agriculture Education (CAGRIC) in 1966 and 1946, respectively.
C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences The C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) was established by an Act of Parliament ACT 1000(2019), which took effect on May 27, 2021.

Before gaining autonomous status, CKT-UTAS was one of four University for Development Studies (UDS) campuses. As a campus, it housed the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies (FIDS), 1994-2002, the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS), 2002, the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences (FMS), 2009 and the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES), 2017.
University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) Established by the University of Media, Arts and Communication Act, 2020 (Act 1059), the University is a merger of the erstwhile Ghana Institute of Journalism, established in 1959, the National Film and Television Institute, established in 1978 and the Ghana Institute of Languages, established in 1961.

Verdict

The claim made by the former President is false.