A lot of people had been stunned when in 1975 Bamfo Kwakye was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Technological innovation (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Prior to his marketing to the university’s top rated job, Bamfo Kwakye had been Head of the Office of Electrical Engineering and Dean of the College of Engineering but his educational position was even now that of Affiliate Professor. Overtaking whole professors in other colleges, Bamfo Kwakye’s appointment appeared destined to market jealousy and discord, but in retrospect it can be viewed that he was a worthy successor to his distinguished predecessors and presided over a tricky but substantial phase of the university’s development.
Modest, dim, bespectacled with a compact moustache, Professor E Bamfo Kwakye possessed a sharp thoughts that was partly concealed by a characteristic pause that typically preceded his reaction to any query or statement, practically as though each and every new difficulty took him a minor by shock. With large eyes guiding strong lenses, Bamfo Kwakye carried a permanent startled glance. Even though just about every inch an mental, his retiring method befitted the role of a back again-space scientist alternatively than that of a vice-chancellor. He may possibly have lacked the existence and charisma of Dr Baffour or the urbane sophistication of Dr Evans-Anform, but Dr Bamfo Kwakye normally realized wherever he was heading and succeeded in attaining most of what he planned.
Before long after using office environment, Bamfo Kwakye was billed with the job of drawing up a 5-12 months improvement plan for the college. This program was envisioned to include things like the institution of a northern campus for the university at Tamale in the Northern Area. As an integral section of the northern campus the Technologies Consultancy Centre (TCC) proposed setting up an Intermediate Technologies Transfer Unit (ITTU), to enable market regional modest-scale industries like the ITTU to be recognized at Suame Magazine in Kumasi. On the other hand, in 1975, neither the Suame nor the Tamale ITTU projects had captivated funding assist and Bamfo Kwakye used all the authority of his place of work to help the TCC Director’s appeals to the Governing administration of Ghana and international improvement agencies.
Immediately after lobbying for the guidance of the Ashanti Regional Administration, the Ministry of Industries, the Ministry of Finance and Financial Planning and the Asantehene (King of Ashanti), the university ultimately obtained funding guidance for each tasks in 1979. The Canadian Worldwide Improvement Company (CIDA) presented overseas assist for the Suame ITTU, and the ITTU in Tamale shaped section of a larger sized programme supported by the United States Company for Worldwide Development (USAID).
Bamfo Kwakye presided more than the official opening of the Suame ITTU in February 1981, an function attended by four governing administration ministers, the Canadian Higher Commissioner and other dignitaries, as effectively as hundreds of artisans who gained their living in Ghana’s major informal industrial estate. The operate in Tamale went forward far more gradually and by the time the Tamale ITTU was completed and formally opened in April 1988, Bamfo kwakye experienced retired as Vice-Chancellor.
Bamfo Kwakye’s 2nd wonderful mission was to set up a professional medical faculty at KNUST. Once again he crusaded to gain the aid of the Government of Ghana and international development companies. The Environment Well being Organisation (WHO) judged Kumasi’s Komfo Anokye Healthcare facility to be unsuitable as a instructing medical center, and several difficulties have been raised by members of the Academic Board and College Council, but the energetic and considerably-observing vice-chancellor was undeterred. Bamfo Kwakye experienced the fulfillment of viewing Ghana’s second medical university firmly recognized in Kumasi prior to his tenure of place of work came to an close in 1982.
Bamfo Kwakye’s achievements would have won him lasting distinction in the most effective of times but these were being in numerous strategies the worst of instances. Ghana’s economic climate was in varying levels of distress all over his time period in office environment, and the many years 1978 to 1981 noticed 4 improvements of government and a few navy coups. A defining moment of Bamfo-Kwakye’s vice-chancellorship came shortly right after Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings’ 1st coup in June 1979 when the youthful air power officer resolved a group of a number of thousand KNUST pupils and team on the university’s athletics floor.
Standing on the roof of his 4 x 4 automobile the leader of the revolution requested the vice-chancellor to join him. By no means was Bamfo Kwakye’s startled appear so apparent as when he stood higher on that precarious perch. Bravely he bore the torment though his companion denounced the corrupt professionals and industry experts who were stated to be exploiting their authority in all public institutions, such as the university. The sunlight was placing and dark shadows have been sweeping across the sports floor, so the beleaguered vice-chancellor built excellent his descent to terra firma by suggesting that the accumulating ought to reconvene in the Fantastic Hall.
Bamfo Kwakye was happier when his feet have been firmly on the floor and he supplied a company foundation for the university. He preserved the identification and independence of KNUST via serious political and economic storms that included invasions of the campus by the military and by miners from Obuasi gold field, as perfectly as an tried get-about of the university by a Workers’ Defence Committee (WDC). By succeeding in increasing and diversifying the role of KNUST in such turbulent instances Bamfo Kwakye ensured that his vice-chancellorship will be remembered with honour, and be a supply of inspiration for equally lecturers and college students in much more tranquil situations.