Dr. Apaak charges new UDS Vice-Chancellor to prioritise academic excellence and accountability

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement A. Apaak, has charged the newly invested Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Professor Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu, to prioritise academic excellence, accountability and institutional discipline during his tenure.

Dr. Apaak said the new Vice-Chancellor assumes office at a time when Ghana’s universities are facing significant financial, infrastructure and student welfare challenges.

Speaking at the investiture of Prof. Iddrisu as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Tamale Campus, he said the position came with both authority and responsibility.

“Professor, this appointment is a great honour, but it is also a serious responsibility. It is an invitation to serve, to make difficult choices and to account for the consequences of those choices,” Dr. Apaak said.

He urged Prof. Iddrisu to ensure that academic excellence remains central to the university’s operations.

“Academic excellence must remain non-negotiable. Staff and student welfare must receive serious attention. Discipline must be fair and consistently applied. Decision-making must be transparent. Financial resources must be managed prudently,” he said.

Dr. Apaak also called for stronger attention to gender inclusion and support for persons with disabilities, stressing that every member of the university community must be treated with dignity.

“Your administration must strengthen gender inclusion, support persons with disabilities and ensure that every member of this community can learn and work in dignity,” he said.

He further urged the Vice-Chancellor to build consensus across the university and prioritise consultation.

“Professor Vice-Chancellor, unite this University. Choose consultation over isolation and institutional interest over personal or sectional interest,” Dr Apaak stated.

He added, “Leadership is not proved by how firmly one occupies a chair. It is proved by how responsibly one carries the weight of the institution.”

Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu was invested as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS, succeeding Prof. Seidu Al-hassan.

The Deputy Minister commended the immediate past Vice-Chancellor and other previous leaders for laying foundations upon which the new administration could build.

“The strongest institutions are not built in a single tenure. They are built when one generation lays a firm foundation and the next builds upon it with imagination, discipline and fidelity to the institution’s mandate,” he said.

Dr. Apaak assured the university that the Ministry of Education remained ready to work with its governing council and management to advance the institution’s mandate.