Wa Poly to be named after Dr. Hilla Limann

• Posted on January 24, 2018
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President Akufo-Addo has announced that the Wa Polytechnic will be named after Ghana’s former President, Dr. Hilla Liman.

The polytechnic, which is in the process of being re-branded as a Technical University, will be  known as the Hilla Limann Polytechnic, after Parliament’s approval of the proposal.

The late President hails from Gwolu in the Upper West Region.

The President, who made this known at the 20th anniversary celebration in remembrance of Dr. Hilla Limann at the Accra International Conference Centre, said the decision was taken after the school’s governing Council made the recommendation.

The President also pointed out that, the new name will reflect after the school is converted into a technical university.

“The governing Council of Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region, in its meeting on 18th January unanimously proposed to the dynamic Minister for Education that the institution should be renamed after Dr. Hilla Limann. The Minister has sought my view on this, and I have indicated to him my happy agreement to this proposal. Once the parliamentary process has been completed, the Wa polytechnic will henceforth be called the Hilla Limann Polytechnic. The name will remain with the conversion of the polytechnic into a technical university,” said the President.

About Dr. Limann

•1941 – 1945: Lawra Confederacy Native Authority School (UIW)

•1946 – 1949: Government Middle School, Tamale (NIR) 1952 – 1955: District Councillor, Tlumu District Council (U/W)

•1954: Lost Parliamentary Election as an Independent Candidate

•1957 – 1960: London School of Economics (Political Science)

•1960 – 1962: Sorbonne University, France (Diploma in French)

•1962 – 1965: University of Paris, (Ph.D. Political Science & Constitutional Law)

•1962 – 1964: University of London (BA Hons) History

•1965 – 1968: Head, Europe Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

•1967: Member Constitutional Commission

•1968 – 1971: Head of Chancery/Official Secretary Ghana Mission, Lome, Togo.

•1971 – 1975: Counsellor, Ghana’s Permanent Mission, Geneva, Switzerland

•1975 (June): Returned to Ghana as Head, Europe, the Americans Southeast Asia Desk. When the ban on politics was lifted in 1979, the Nkrumaists grouped under the Peoples National Party (PNP). The most popular figure and the one most had tipped to lead them to elections was Alhaji Imoro Egala. Egala was however disqualified by SMC Two from running for political office. Egala nominated Limann to lead the Party.

•Although seen by many as a novice in politics, Limann, perhaps, shocked many by beating the more “popular” Victor Owusu of the Popular Front Party (PFP) in the run-off the 1979 elections.

•Limann polled 62 per cent of the votes as against 38 per cent by Owusu. In the Parliamentary election the PNP won 71 seats against 42 by the PFP, 13 by the United National Convention, 10 by the Action Congress Party, three by the Social Democratic Front and one by an Independent candidate.

•1979 (September 24): Sworn-in as President of Ghana’s Third Republic. One of Limann’s first acts was to replenish food stock, which had been depleted by the AFRC’s three-month rule. His government also launched the Gold Endowment Fund as a means of getting investors to Ghana.

•1981 (31 December): Overthrown by Flight-Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, leader of the AFRC who had handed over power to him about two and-a-half years earlier. Limann lived a private life and although he tried to re-enter politics in 1992, he failed in his bid to win the presidential elections of that year as the candidate of the People’s National Convention. His last effort in politics was to try and unite the fractured Nkrumaists front and was co-chairman of the Unity Talks aimed at bringing all Nkrumaists under one-fold.

•1998 (23 January): Died of natural causes.

By: Marian Ansah