PROF NAANA OPOKU-AGYEMANG...First female Vice-Chancellor (PAGE 11)

I draw inspiration from life around me and people who do not give up easily. When I see women who sit behind their wares in the scorching sun, those who trek to markets on trucks loaded with foodstuffs, fish and other items and those who do not have fixed income, yet they are able to look after their children, I think there are no better role models than them.”
That was how Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang summed up her description of an ideal woman, whilst answering a question on who her role model was during an interview on her new appointment as the first woman Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
She did her postgraduate studies in Toronto's York University in Canada, between 1978 and 1986 and started life as a lecturer at UCC in the English Department. This was after she had completed her first degree at UCC in 1971, majoring in English and French with a diploma in education.
Asked whether she faced any challenges as a lecturer at the time, she replied in the affirmative and recalled that one of the greatest challenges that came her way in her work as a lecturer at the UCC over the past 22 years was the day she described as follows: After giving a two-hour lecture, a group of students from her class followed her to her office to tell her that they did not understand what she taught.
She said after listening to them carefully she realised they were mature students who had not gone through certain rudiments in literature and, therefore, she decided to hold special tutorials for them on Friday evenings.
She said that strategy worked, since the affected students showed determination and picked up, adding that she was glad to see them graduate successfully with some of them pursuing further studies.
Asked whether she dreamt of ever becoming the Vice Chancellor of UCC one day, Professor Opoku-Agyemang, in her usual and characteristic humility and soft-spoken tone, said since she was employed to teach, she was only "interested in doing that and doing it well”, adding that “whether teaching, researching or offering community service, I strive for excellence".
She said she did not know she would even become the Hall Warden for the Adehye Hall where she helped to mobilise students of the hall to improve facilities and conditions there.
The new vice chancellor said there were certain positions one had to compete for whilst others came along the line and that she contested for certain positions and won or lost but when she saw the advertisement for the position of vice chancellor, she studied the qualifications and requirements and then went through the application process as every applicant did and waited for the results.
Incidentally, she was the only woman who applied for the position.
Sounding proverbial on her vision for the UCC as vice chancellor, she said, "I want to see myself first as an interior decorator who occupies a room and re-arranges whatever is found there to give it a new look" and expressed optimism that once she would be working with a competent team the results would show.
She said she wanted the UCC to be globally known and remain "the university of choice” because of the high calibre of students and staff and pointed out that she was only interested to bring everyone on board to push the university forward.
She commended the past principals and vice chancellors for their respective roles in sustaining the vision of the university to maintain excellence and quality programmes.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who hails from Komenda, was born in Cape Coast on November 22, 1952, where she spent much of her life. She said she grew up in a home where everyone had the opportunity to attend school and that all those in the family including herself, siblings and cousins were educated.
She described her father simply as a senior civil servant and her mother as a telephonist, seamstress and a housewife.
After one year at the Komenda Primary School she attended the Koforidua Anglican School when they moved to Koforidua and later entered the Aburi Girls Boarding School where she continued her basic education.
She recalled that even though her parents had to cater for her and also another sister and three brothers as well as her cousins, their needs were readily met, adding, "Everybody was encouraged to do his or her best.”
After elementary education she gained admission to the Wesley Girls High School where she pursued Arts subjects and obtained the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level offering English, French and Religious Studies.
About her days as a youth at the Wey Gey Hey where she became a senior prefect, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said apart from the serene atmosphere and sense of freedom at the school, she met masters who took pains to teach them and gave them assignments to monitor their progress.
She advised the public to discard the wrong perception about the university set-up in 1962 and associate it with quality education and human resource development that the country's future hinged on.
She stressed the need to encourage the government to spend more on education, giving the assurance that the university would continue to be partners in a far-reaching vision in advancing education in all spheres throughout the country and across the world.
Asked to comment on the falling standards of education in the country, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said as a researcher, such a comparison could only be based on proper research because education in the country had depended on several different mechanisms at different times.
She said years ago, student numbers were not as huge as now and that if the methodology was changed and resources were provided, the university could cope with the situation.
She said since human resource was very important for national development the nation should be interested in the training of its people, stressing that the country needs to strategise to meet the challenges.
She said the youth of today had several opportunities and avenues and advised them to avail themselves of such opportunities to get good results.
She called on the girl-child, who she described as very brilliant and intelligent, to study hard and excel because her achievement was a credit to the family and the country.
On affirmative action for women, she said the issue should be handled with sensitivity because some people had a lot of misconceptions about the concept, adding that structures must be put in place in that respect.
She advised the youth to learn to be honest and avoid doing things that would mar their lives and shut the door to their future will.
She further advised the youth not to experiment but look up to the good examples set by others and also learn from their mistakes.
She advised parents to stop complaining to their children because they had no business to do that but strive to provide their essential needs to offer their best in whatever area they found themselves.
She is married with three children. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing tennis, entertainment and loves having people around her.
She is a member of a number of literary associations such as the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, African Literature Association, Ghana English Association, and the Ghana Studies Council. She has nine books to her credit and over 25 publications. She worships at the OLA Methodist Church and is a patron of the UCC Ladies Association.