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Alfred Nobel University awards parallel honorary doctorate degrees to ZoDF CEO

The Alfred Nobel University of Ukraine has awarded parallel honorary doctorate degrees in humanities and sciences to the Chief Executive Officer of the Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF), Alhaji Arafat Suleiman Abdulai, for his service to humanity. 

This was at a convocation held last Saturday by the representatives of the university at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research of the University of Ghana.

Reverend Professor Emeritus Edwin Korley and Reverend Professor Emma Yao Nash on behalf of the President of the university, Professor Borys Kholod, decorated Alhaji Abdulai with the academic gown and a hat to match, and presented the honorary degrees to him, at the convocation attended by officials of ZoDF, friends, relatives and the media.

In a citation, Prof. Emeritus Korley said “Today one of the world’s prestigious universities has spotted a very committed, hardworking and highly intelligent Ghanaian that has imparted so much to society through his social interaction with humanity both in Ghana and abroad.”

“These awards reflects the recipient’s commitment to ensuring excellent service delivery in promoting Zongo development projects, thereby ensuring better life for Zongo dwellers nationwide,” he added.

Addressing the convocation, Dr Abdulai said his call to come and serve invoked in him mix feelings having stayed abroad, however, he saw it as an opportunity to share his experiences with his people having born been in Zongo, grew up in Zongo and schooled in Zongo.

“We will not let you down, we will not relent on our course to make the Zongo  a new place for humanity,” the highly elated Dr Abdulai who supervises the execution of varied programmes and projects for 1,080 Zongo communities across the country inhabited by estimated 4.6 million people,  told the convocation.

He dedicated the awards to the President for appointing him as the CEO of ZoDF, the former Minister of the erstwhile Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, for giving him the free hand to operate and the management and staff of the ZoDF for their cooperation. 

Dr Abdulai said his appointment was a sacrifice worth undertaking  adding “it is a call to go beyond your limit and a signal that whatever you are doing, people are watching you, by Allah’s grace the satellite focused on ZoDF, it took hard work to do that.”

Dr Abdulai is a graduate from the University of Ghana where he obtained Bachelor of Arts in Social and Work and Sociology and the Alice Salomon University of Applied Science in Berlin, Germany.He is a specialist in social work and conflict management.

Before joining the ZoDF he was the Headmaster of Presbyterian Junior High school in Tamale.

He had also work as advanced social worker for a decade in London and he is a member of the British Association of Social Work and Health Care Profession Council of United Kingdom.

The ZoDF was established by Act 2018, Act 964 to facilitate development of the deprived Zongo communities, and has since accelerated the provision of educational, health infrastructure, social amenities, skills and entrepreneurial development for the communities.

BY SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN 

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