PARLAIMENT PASSES LAW BACKING ESTABLISHMENT OF EASTERN REGIONAL UNIVERSITY

President John Dramani Mahama has announced the release of an amount of about 37 million Ghana Cedis to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for the payment of Book and Research Allowance to lecturers and other deserving workers in the public tertiary schools for the 2015/2016 academic year. 

President John Dramani Mahama disclosed this at the last of the 11session 50th congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. 

President Mahama said his government is very much committed to the provision of quality formal education at all levels hence the numerous interventions made in the education sector. 

He disclosed also that Parliament has passed the Bill to back the establishment of another public university in the Eastern region adding that the next plan in line is the start of physical development of the university. 

Related to this is that a Report is ready for government’s consideration for the upgrading of the two campuses of the University for Development Studies in the Upper West and Upper East regions into full fledged public universities.

 Additionally, a Bill is in Parliament which when passed will empower the full implementation of the upgrading of the Polytechnics into Technical Universities from September this year. 

President John Dramani Mahama pledged to seek funds for the completion of the KNUST Teaching Hospital as a monument for the 5oth Congregation. 

In his report, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Otoo Ellis Professor Otoo Ellis disclosed that from the next academic year, KNUST will begin its Master’s programme in Law, LLM, following a successful completion of reviews and approvals.

 He enumerated a number of achievements KNUST has chalked since he became the chief executive of the institution. 

These covers the areas of physical teaching and learning facilities such as lecture theatres and laboratories, new academic programmes, research activities as well as local and international awards.

 The Chancellor of the university, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is also the Asantehene, said as a university with a mandate to provide an environment for teaching, research and entrepreneurship training in science and technology for the industrial and socio-economic development of Ghana and beyond, KNUST has developed a comprehensive strategic plan that will position the institution as one of the best universities in Africa.

 The Chancellor disclosed also that the KNUST is exploring means of expanding its facilities to train more health professionals to boost healthcare in the country.

 It was on this basis that Otumfuo Osei Tutu appealed to the government to assist the university with more funding to enable it to complete its 500-bed Teaching Hospital which was started in 2007.  

 President Mahama, joined by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu and the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor William Otoo Ellis, unveiled the plagues to inaugurate two newly built classroom blocks. 

These are the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Extension Complex and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Lecture Theatre Complex. 

Construction of the two projects has come at a time the university has introduced a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy programme as well as the relocation of the Faculty of Forest Resources Technology from Sunyani to make way for the University of Energy and Natural Resources on that campus.

  

ABOUT THE CONGREGATION

This year’s graduation ceremony happens to be the 50^th since the establishment of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, in 1951.  

A total of eight thousand and 81 students of the KNUST graduated this academic year and were presented with first degrees, Master’s and doctorate certificates. 

The figure involves seven thousand, 440 undergraduates with the remaining number of 641 others being postgraduates. 

This year’s graduating class had the highest number of 51 PhD candidates. 

The occasion was also the last of such events under Professor William Otoo Ellis who retires as the Vice Chancellor of the university after six years in office. 

His tenure ends on the 31^st of this month and will be succeeded by the current Provost of the College of Sciences, Professor Kwasi Obiri Danso, who assumes duty from the first of next month.