4th UHAS Council Inaugurated by Minister of Education

The Minister of Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, has officially inaugurated the fourth substantive council of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at a brief but highly significant ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

Delivering a speech after the inauguration, the Minister of Education extended the President’s hearty congratulations to the new members. He said the commitment to expand infrastructure in institutions of higher learning in order to increase student intake remains the desire of the political administration and as such Government shall complete all ongoing projects at the Ho and Hohoe campuses, including the UHAS laboratory complex, through GETFund’s interventions for the year. Hon. Haruna Iddrisu also intimated that he has received assurance from the Minister of Roads for the construction of the UHAS internal roads as part of an extended initiative for the improvement of university roads across the country.

The Minister used the occasion to announce Government’s decision to name the University after the late President Professor J. E. A. Mills to honour his memory for the instrumental role he played in the establishment of the University. He said the Government considers the gesture as ‘a posthumous honour for his contribution as a stateman, a former President of the Republic and a former academic of repute.’ Therefore, UHAS in due course, will be known as ‘John Evans Atta Mills University of Health and Allied Sciences’.

The Chairman, Professor Kodzo Gavua, in his acceptance speech, extended a profound gratitude to the President, the Minister of Education and the Government for the confidence reposed in the membership to serve in this new capacity towards the attainment of the vision of UHAS. Professor Gavua said, among others, that UHAS is one of the legacies that the NDC government has left for the people of Ghana, Africa and the entire world. The new Council Chairman gave the assurance that under his leadership, the Council shall work with the Government and the Management of the University to surmount the many challenges confronting the University of which accommodation for students and staff is topmost among them. He said ‘I will like to say with confidence that we shall work as a team based on mutual trust and respect to build upon what our forebearers have left, to ensure that UHAS does not only become a model university but a leading healthcare training institution in Ghana, across Africa and the world at large.’

The inaugurated Council consists of notable academics, professionals, industry leaders and governance experts. The members are Professor Kodzo Gavua (Chairman), Professor Lydia Aziato (Vice Chancellor, UHAS), Professor Mark Appiah, Emeritus Professor Fred Newton Binka, Mr. Selorm Dey Esq., Dr. Kenneth Tachi, Daniel Nii Noi Ashong, CA, Dr. Edmund Nibeneeh Aalangdong (Representative of GTEC, Member), Mr. Charles Evans Apreku (Representative of CHASS), Professor Peter Adatara (Representative of Convocation, Professorial), Mr. Israel Tordzro Agudze (Representative of Convocation, Non-Professorial) Mr. Gabriel Agbanyo (Representative of UHAS Alumni Association), Mr. Jeffery Nii Otu Larkai (Representative of Senior Staff Association), Dr. Felix Kwasi Nyande (Representative of UTAG), Mr. Felix Dolla Dimado (Representative of GRASAG) and Mr. Sefah Michael Debrah (Representative of SRC). The Registrar, Ms. Yaa Amankwaa Opuni is the Secretary.

The Council comes at a time when the only Ghanaian state university solely committed to healthcare professional training is consolidating its gains as a global practically orientated preeminent health institution dedicated to impactful research and community service.