The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has presented three distinguished Ghanaian personalities with Honorary Doctorate degrees during the fifth session of its 17th Congregation ceremony on December 4, held to graduate students under the School of Graduate Studies.
The three eminent Ghanaians honoured were Professor Joshua Alabi, Mr. J. K. Horgle, and the late First Lady, H.E. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (posthumous).
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, former Vice-Chancellor of UPSA and current Board Chair of the Ghana Commercial Bank, Professor Joshua Alabi, noted that during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor, he had to take bold and transformative decisions to drive the innovative agenda set by the University’s management to build the world-class brand UPSA has become in recent times.
“The massive transformation of the University of Professional Studies took years of strategic vision and foresight by management and staff. As a collective, we knew that to drive sustained excellence and growth as a fully-fledged tertiary institution, grit and tact would be the key cornerstones of our dream for the school,” he said.
Prof. Alabi further revealed that, as part of his management team’s long-term plan to make the University self-sustaining and nationally relevant, the Weekend School was established to boost the institution’s finances. The initiative also aimed to formalise the alumni network to enhance the University’s image while securing institutional autonomy from its mentor university.
“The next step in our transformation journey was to strengthen our internally generated funds by introducing the Weekend School to attract more mature students and workers who preferred a more flexible learning environment. This also helped us build a strong student network that could be used to revive the dormant alumni association at the time.”
The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, traditional leaders, and high-ranking government officials, including the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin; as well as senior university officials led by the Chancellor, Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong; the Council Chairperson, Dr. Harry Agbanu; and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Mawutor.
The three distinguished awardees are:
• Professor Joshua Alabi – honoured for his meritorious service to the UPSA community in various capacities, culminating in his tenure as the first Vice-Chancellor, as well as his broader public service to Ghana.
• H.E. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings – recognised for her consistent advocacy in grassroots mobilization, community development, and women’s rights during her tenure as Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady. The award was received on her behalf by the MP for Klottey Korle, Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
• Mr. J. K. Horgle – honoured for pioneering downstream petroleum haulage and logistics in Ghana for over two decades, with operations extending across West Africa and a fleet of over 600 trucks.
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
