The Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies (CHLS), University of Cape Coast, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng, has received in courtesy visit, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of the late former vice president, His Excellency (H.E.) Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

The visit, Mrs. Amissah-Arthur stated, was to present portraits of the late veep to the College.

The late Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur contributed significantly towards the building of the Amissah-Arthur Language Centre, which serves the language departments within the Faculty of Arts.

She indicated that with the institution of the annual Amissah-Arthur Memorial Lectures in June three years ago, she was prepared to discuss with the organisers  of the event at the University of Ghana the need to hold at least one of the lectures at the University of Cape Coast.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur in a meeting with the Registrar of UCC, Mr. Jeff Teye Onyame, Provost of CHLS and other members of the College during her visit

She expressed gratitude to management of UCC and the Board of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies for the recognition.

For his part, Prof. Kwarteng acknowledged H. E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur's laudable profile in public service, serving as governor of the Bank of Ghana as well as vice-president of Ghana.

For using his rich experience and knowledge in serving the country and humanity, Prof. Kwarteng said the death of the former veep had robbed the family and the country of one of its finest gentlemen. 

Prof. Kwarteng indicated that the College would immortalize the memory of the former vice president for his generosity towards the University by erecting his bust at the frontage of the Language Centre.

Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. Jeff Onyame and a former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole.

The Amissah-Arthur Language-UCC

The language centre project, which started in 2003 as a GetFund project, was halted due to lack of funds, but was taken over and completed by a collaboration between the Bank of Ghana under the then leadership of Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as governor, and the University of Cape Coast in 2011.

The state-of-the-art Language Centre, named after the late vice president, was inaugurated in 2016. The two-storey facility, which is to train students and people from neighbouring countries in both local and international languages, has facilities such as language laboratories, computer laboratories, a library, offices, museum/archives, conference room and a multi- purpose studio.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur presenting a portrait of the late vice president to the Registrar of UCC and Provost of CHLS

While commissioning the facility, the late Mr. Amissah-Arthur indicated that for Ghana to be part of the global world and economy, there was the urgent need to pay attention to learning of more international languages.

H. E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur passed away on 28th June, 2018, aged 67.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC