Many folks were astonished when in 1975 Bamfo Kwakye was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Technological know-how (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Prior to his promotion to the university’s leading job, Bamfo Kwakye had been Head of the Division of Electrical Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering but his tutorial status was however that of Affiliate Professor. Overtaking total professors in other colleges, Bamfo Kwakye’s appointment appeared destined to market jealousy and discord, but in retrospect it can be witnessed that he was a deserving successor to his distinguished predecessors and presided in excess of a challenging but important phase of the university’s growth.
Small, darkish, bespectacled with a smaller moustache, Professor E Bamfo Kwakye possessed a sharp intellect that was partly hidden by a attribute pause that often preceded his reaction to any query or statement, practically as however each new difficulty took him a small by surprise. With substantial eyes guiding effective lenses, Bamfo Kwakye carried a long term startled appear. While each inch an mental, his retiring way befitted the job of a again-space scientist fairly than that of a vice-chancellor. He could have lacked the existence and charisma of Dr Baffour or the urbane sophistication of Dr Evans-Anform, but Dr Bamfo Kwakye constantly knew where he was heading and succeeded in acquiring most of what he planned.
Soon following taking office environment, Bamfo Kwakye was billed with the undertaking of drawing up a 5-calendar year enhancement prepare for the university. This system was expected to include the institution of a northern campus for the university at Tamale in the Northern Region. As an integral component of the northern campus the Know-how Consultancy Centre (TCC) proposed placing up an Intermediate Technology Transfer Device (ITTU), to help encourage regional modest-scale industries like the ITTU to be established at Suame Magazine in Kumasi. However, in 1975, neither the Suame nor the Tamale ITTU jobs experienced attracted funding assistance and Bamfo Kwakye made use of all the authority of his business office to help the TCC Director’s appeals to the Federal government of Ghana and international improvement companies.
Right after lobbying for the assistance of the Ashanti Regional Administration, the Ministry of Industries, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Organizing and the Asantehene (King of Ashanti), the college eventually obtained funding guidance for the two tasks in 1979. The Canadian International Growth Company (CIDA) furnished international aid for the Suame ITTU, and the ITTU in Tamale fashioned aspect of a more substantial programme supported by the United States Agency for Intercontinental Progress (USAID).
Bamfo Kwakye presided above the formal opening of the Suame ITTU in February 1981, an event attended by four govt ministers, the Canadian Substantial Commissioner and other dignitaries, as effectively as hundreds of artisans who acquired their dwelling in Ghana’s largest casual industrial estate. The perform in Tamale went ahead much more slowly but surely and by the time the Tamale ITTU was accomplished and formally opened in April 1988, Bamfo kwakye experienced retired as Vice-Chancellor.
Bamfo Kwakye’s 2nd fantastic mission was to establish a health care college at KNUST. Once again he crusaded to win the assist of the Government of Ghana and global progress agencies. The Globe Wellbeing Organisation (WHO) judged Kumasi’s Komfo Anokye Medical center to be unsuitable as a training clinic, and quite a few problems were elevated by members of the Educational Board and College Council, but the energetic and much-seeing vice-chancellor was undeterred. Bamfo Kwakye had the satisfaction of observing Ghana’s second clinical college firmly proven in Kumasi right before his tenure of place of work arrived to an conclusion in 1982.
Bamfo Kwakye’s achievements would have received him lasting difference in the finest of times but these were in lots of techniques the worst of periods. Ghana’s financial system was in different degrees of distress during his expression in workplace, and the years 1978 to 1981 noticed 4 adjustments of federal government and three navy coups. A defining instant of Bamfo-Kwakye’s vice-chancellorship arrived soon soon after Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings’ very first coup in June 1979 when the younger air power officer resolved a group of several thousand KNUST learners and employees on the university’s sporting activities ground.
Standing on the roof of his 4 x 4 car the chief of the revolution asked the vice-chancellor to be a part of him. Under no circumstances was Bamfo Kwakye’s startled seem so obvious as when he stood large on that precarious perch. Bravely he bore the torment whilst his companion denounced the corrupt supervisors and industry experts who were being claimed to be exploiting their authority in all community establishments, together with the college. The sunlight was environment and dark shadows were sweeping throughout the sports floor, so the beleaguered vice-chancellor designed great his descent to terra firma by suggesting that the accumulating must reconvene in the Great Hall.
Bamfo Kwakye was happier when his feet were firmly on the floor and he furnished a agency foundation for the university. He managed the id and independence of KNUST by way of extreme political and economic storms that bundled invasions of the campus by the army and by miners from Obuasi gold area, as nicely as an tried take-in excess of of the university by a Workers’ Defence Committee (WDC). By succeeding in expanding and diversifying the role of KNUST in these types of turbulent occasions Bamfo Kwakye ensured that his vice-chancellorship will be remembered with honour, and be a resource of inspiration for each teachers and students in much more tranquil occasions.
