The Obi of Ogwashiukwu and NLC Trustee, Professor Chukwuma
Okonjo, was at the weekend honoured by the government of Ghana with a national
award, reports ITRealms.
The award was conferred on him by the President of Ghana, John
Dramani Mahama in recognition of his stellar and distinguished contributions to
the country’s education system.
Professor Chukwuma Okonjo, father of the two-time former
Minister of Finance, Dr. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria is a renowned
Mathematician and Economist who worked for a long time in Ghana as a United
Nations staff and later as a consultant to the Ghanaian Government.
ITRealms gathered that Prof. Okonjo joined the United
Nations System in 1974 as an official based in New York with his duty station
at Accra, Ghana as the Director of the Regional Institute for Population
Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana, Lego, Accra. He worked as a
Professor of Economics at the University from 1974 to 1985 at a time the
country was going through severe economic and political difficulties.
Further, ITRealms learnt that during that time, Professor Chukwuma
Okonjo installed the first African population information network popularly
known as the Population Information and Documentation System for Africa (POSA)
valued at $350,000.
Obi of Ogwashiukwu, also created a 12 months Master of Arts
(M.A) programmes, 18 months Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and 36 months Doctor
of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees in Population Studies at the University. Over 437
post graduate students successfully completed their studies under his
leadership.
Professor Chukwuma Okonjo later left the United Nations in
1985 and worked as the Education Adviser to Ghana’s Minister of Education and
Culture where he was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing several
reforms in the structure and organization of the Minister.
Some of the reforms include reducing the length of
pre-tertiary education from 17 to 12 years, increasing secondary school
admission from 26,000 to 260,000 and growing primary school enrolment at a rate
of 12% per annum (twice the rate approved by the World Bank for Ghana).
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Professor Chukwuma
Okonjo was accorded the National Service Award in June 1982 for the support he
gave to the National Service Scheme of the Ghanaian Government.
Other renowned persons who also received the honors include
Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr., John Henry Martey Newman, Nana Ato
Dadzie, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, Ato Kwamena Ahwoi,
Joseph Henry Owusu Acheampong, Dr Kwabena Duffuor and John Sackah Addo.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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Pix; Obi of Ogwuashiukwu, Prof. Okonjo and Lolo at the ceremony in Ghana
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