Polytechnic conversion political propaganda - Prof Fobin

A former minister of education in the Kufour administration Prof Dominic Fobih has described the conversion of polytechnics in the country by President John Mahama as a "political propaganda" because the conversion did not follow the law.

He argues that the appropriate procedures had not been followed regarding the conversion of such institutions and that declarations by the president converting some polytechnics to varsities were only pronouncements.

“In the current state where the polytechnics are being converted to technical universities, I believe in the first place, in terms of law, it is not right, he told Accra FM.

"It is political propaganda because there is a procedure to go through before a tertiary institution can be said to have been converted to a university,” he addd.

Prof Fobin adds that even before parliament consider and approve the bill seeking to convert polytechnics into technical universities, the president is out there doing so by "word of mouth."

“I hear there is a bill in parliament but the Education Committee has not seen the bill to deliberate on it to be considered for approval by parliament."

"So, you cannot just say you have transformed any polytechnic to a technical university. It’s not done that way, it’s not by word of mouth: presidential pronouncements do not make such institutions automatic [varsities]. That is not what is done,” he said.

Two polytechnics--Takoradi polytechnic and Sunyani polytechnic--have so far been converted into technical universities.

Four other polytechnics have been selected for conversion across the country.

They include Accra, Kumasi, Koforidua, and Ho polytechnics.