Mr. Ephraim Ayeh Oracca-Tetteh, a visually impaired student, has achieved a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA), earning the prestigious title of valedictorian for the University of Ghana’s 2025 graduating class.
Mr. Oracca-Tetteh was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Classics, and Philosophy.
His remarkable accomplishment was celebrated at the College of Humanities congregation held at the university’s Great Hall.
Mr. Oracca-Tetteh’s journey to academic excellence began at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2017 but was interrupted when his eyesight began to deteriorate.
Despite this challenge, he persevered and was transferred to the University of Ghana, where he thrived.
Beyond his academic achievements, Mr. Oracca-Tetteh demonstrated leadership skills, serving as the organizer and Public Relations Officer for the association of students with special needs.
He also actively advocated inclusivity and accessibility of students with disabilities within the university.
In his valedictorian speech, Mr. Oracca-Tetteh acknowledged the difficulties faced by the graduating class of 2024, including the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to modular learning, and personal hardships.
He emphasized the resilience of his classmates and the crucial role of the university’s support systems in their success.
Mr. Oracca-Tetteh highlighted the transformative power of assistive technology in bridging accessibility gaps for students with special needs.
He shared his personal experience of how technology enabled him to fully engage with course materials and communicate effectively with lecturers.
“As a visually impaired student, technology like assistive technology tools bridged the gap, enabling me to engage directly with the course materials and communicate directly with lecturers,” he said.
“In time past, I would have built my answers during an examination. Then, it would now be transcribed before the lecturer could perceive or have my scripts read. But now, all I need to do is type my answers out, and then it is printed and submitted. The role of technology cannot be overstated.”
Mr Oracca-Tetteh praised the University of Ghana’s commitment to inclusivity and its embrace of innovation and technology to support students with diverse needs.
Mr. Kwame Agyepong Oppong, the Guest Speaker and Head of Fintech and Innovation, Bank of Ghana, tasked the graduates to remain committed to serving the country through their respective career choices.
“I humbly entreat you to heed the advice that was given to me by my superiors, both at CIDIA and the Bank of Ghana, that service to one’s country is a distinct privilege and not a sacrifice. “
“Let the course of Ghana and Africa be seared in your minds and be engraved on your hearts until you draw your last breath. From these lessons, I hope you are more assured that it does work out in the end,” he said.
The University of Ghana’s graduation ceremony, spanning seven days, will see a total of 18,780 students receive their degrees across 18 sessions.
The graduating class comprises 123 PhDs, 3,444 master’s degrees, 11,067 undergraduate degrees, and 1,116 diplomas.
