A son of Savannah Region of Ghana based in the USA Dr. Sanusi Zankawah has respectfully propose that the $30 million allocation for a proposed “Catholic University” be redirected toward the creation of a Savannah University of Science and Technology (SUST) a public, non-denominational, and government-owned university designed to transform the Savannah Region into a hub of innovation, research, and modern industry.
In a petition Dr. Sanusi Zankawah said; “This university could host cutting-edge schools and programs in areas directly aligned with Ghana’s developmental priorities and the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He added that the appeal is not rooted in opposition to the Catholic Church, but in the belief that public funds must advance unity, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
He stated; “A Savannah University of Science and Technology, however, would unite people of all backgrounds and faiths around a shared vision of progress, a university that symbolizes opportunity, national cohesion, and the promise of modern education for all”.
Read the full petition below:
Savannah Region, Ghana
Email: Zankawahs@gmail.com
Date: October 30, 2025
To:
His Excellency John Dramani Mahama
President of the Republic of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
PETITION TO RECONSIDER GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY PROJECT IN THE SAVANNAH REGION
Your Excellency,
I write to you with the utmost respect and admiration for your enduring vision of equity, education, and inclusive national development. As a proud son of the Savannah Region and a citizen who deeply values your commitment to uplifting the northern part of our country, I humbly appeal for your reconsideration of the government’s decision to allocate $30 million from the Chinese grant to the Catholic Church for the establishment of a Catholic University for Science and Technology in the Savannah Region.
While the Catholic Church has historically contributed to education and health sectors in Gonjaland, our recent experience demonstrates exclusion, inefficiency, and declining public trust.
- The West Gonja Hospital Example – Lessons from recent Past
Your Excellency, the transformation of the then West Gonja Hospital into St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital serves as a cautionary tale. Under your first administration, the government invested heavily to upgrade the facility into a model hospital in northern Ghana. Yet, after the Catholic Church took full control, service quality and morale declined significantly.
Today, essential drugs and supplies are often inadequate, staff turnover is high, and leadership decisions are viewed by many as exclusionary. What was once a proud, publicly supported health institution has lost its community character and trust.
This unfortunate development has left residents feeling alienated, a sentiment that still runs deep in the Savannah Region. It is a living reminder of how public resources can lose their national essence when handed over to religious institutions, no matter how well-intentioned the arrangement may begin.
- The St. Anne’s Girls Senior High School Example – A Reflection of Underperformance
The case of St. Anne’s Girls Senior High School in Damongo reinforces the same lesson. Despite the Catholic Church’s management, the school’s academic outcomes have consistently fallen below national averages and remain far behind peer Catholic institutions such as St. Louis, Holy Child, or Our Lady of Providence.
Teacher retention remains low, enrollment numbers are modest, and local confidence in the school’s administration has eroded.
If a Catholic university were established under similar conditions, it would likely face comparable challenges, low enrollment, limited local ownership, and sustainability problems.
- Broader Struggles of Faith-Based and Private Universities in Ghana
Your Excellency, even well-established faith-based and private universities across Ghana are facing serious sustainability issues. The Catholic University of Ghana at Fiapre, among others, continues to struggle with low student intake and financial constraints.
These challenges are compounded in northern Ghana, where socioeconomic limitations further reduce enrollment potential. These private universities are profit-making in nature hence charges very high school fees. Establishing such a university in one of the country’s least developed and poor regions is therefore, unlikely to produce lasting results.
A public, secular university, on the other hand, would ensure inclusivity, state funding, and equal access for all with moderate fees, while also serving as a unifying force for the region.
- A Visionary Alternative: The Savannah University of Science and Technology (SUST)
Your Excellency, I respectfully propose that the $30 million allocation be redirected toward the creation of a Savannah University of Science and Technology (SUST) a public, non-denominational, and government-owned university designed to transform the Savannah Region into a hub of innovation, research, and modern industry.
This university could host cutting-edge schools and programs in areas directly aligned with Ghana’s developmental priorities and the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including:
• School of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence – to prepare the next generation of innovators and engineers capable of driving automation, digital transformation, and smart agriculture.
• School of Medicine and Health Sciences– to train doctors, nurses, and health professionals who understand the specific needs of northern Ghana’s communities.
• School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences– to harness the untapped potential of the White Volta Basin and other inland water bodies for food security and job creation.
• School of Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Climate Adaptation – to research sustainable farming, green energy, and environmental resilience for the Savannah ecosystem.
• School of Engineering and ICT – to equip young people with the skills to power Ghana’s industrial future.
Such a university would not only address the developmental aspirations of the Savannah Region but also embody your enduring legacy as a leader who expanded access to science and technology education beyond the urban centers.
It would stand as a national beacon of inclusion and innovation,a living continuation of President Jerry John Rawlings’ vision when he established the University for Development Studies (UDS), but adapted to meet the demands of a new global era.
Your Excellency, this appeal is not rooted in opposition to the Catholic Church, but in the belief that public funds must advance unity, inclusivity, and sustainable development. A publicly funded Catholic university risks deepening division and repeating the painful lessons of the West Gonja Hospital.
A Savannah University of Science and Technology, however, would unite people of all backgrounds and faiths around a shared vision of progress, a university that symbolizes opportunity, national cohesion, and the promise of modern education for all.
By championing this vision, Your Excellency would once again affirm your legacy as the President who invested in the future, not just of one faith or one region, but of the entire nation.
With my highest esteem and unwavering respect,
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Sanusi Zankawah
Base: USA
Email: Zankawahs@gmail.com
