Public University Bill, still attracting inputs – Kwaitoo

Mr William Agyapong Kwaitoo, Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Education, says the House Committee is prepared to suspend the consideration stage of the Public University Bill for wider consultations.

The Committee, he said, therefore, was accepting inputs from stakeholders into the proposed law.

Mr Kwaitoo made the revelation at a press briefing in Parliament House where he debunked claims in sections of the Media that the Public University Bill, 2020 has been passed by the House.

The Public University Bill, 2020 was laid in Parliament by the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, on November 3, 2020.

The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment, governance, arrangements and management of a public university in the country.

Mr Kwaitoo also explained that the bill was at the second reading stage and that Parliament’s Committee on Education was still receiving inputs from stakeholders.

He said the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Convocation and other key players in academia met Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in his office where they all received copies of the new bill.

“If stakeholders, after considering the new bill are satisfied that the issues they brought up have been incorporated into the new bill, then the parties would come to a common ground before the bill is passed,” Mr Kwaitoo said.

He added: “We are keeping faith with all the stakeholders; we don’t want to bring or pass any bill that will affect those we working with.”

“It is not true that the bill has been passed, you are aware but your other colleagues out there who do not understand the process of parliament will give it a different twist,” the Chairman said.

Source: GNA