Two new varsities get governing boards

THE governing councils of the two proposed public universities in the Volta and the Brong Ahafo regions have been inaugurated, with a commitment to admit students for the 2012/2013 academic year.

Already, Parliament has passed legislative instruments (LIs) for the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta Region and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The governing councils are to see to the establishment and running of the two universities.

The UHAS governing council is chaired by Professor Kofi Anyidoho of the Faculty of Arts of the University  of Ghana, with Justice Ms Agnes Dordzi, an Appeal Court judge; Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tetteh, a medical practitioner; Dr Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Danadams Pharmaceuticals; Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, Paramount Chief of the Anfoega Traditional Area, and Professor Ernest Aryeetey, the Vice-Chancelor of the University of Ghana, Legon, as members.

The UENR has Professor Aba Andam of the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences as its Chairperson, with the members as Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf of the Geography and Resource Development Centre of the University of Ghana; Mr Paul Effah, a retired administrator of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Adminstration (GIMPA); Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area; Okofrobour Dr Yaw Agyei II, the Omanhene of the Mim Traditional Area, and Prof William Otoo Ellis, the Vice-Chacellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which is the collaborating institution.

Inaugurating the councils, the acting Minister of Education, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, said the GH¢500,000,000 minimum endowment fund for each of the universities recommended by the national planning committee was captured in the 2012 budget.

While commending members of the planning committee for working around the clock to ensure that the final draft report was ready for take-off, Mr Mensah expressed the hope that the interim councils would defy all odds and live up to public expectation in the performance of their duties.

The Chairman of UHAS Council, Professor Anyidoho, who spoke on behalf of the two councils, indicated that although the task ahead of the councils were enormous, the putting together of a comprehensive report by the planning committee to aid the immediate take-off would make their work a lot easier.

The Convenor of the national  planning committee and Advisor to the  President, Dr Christina Amoako-Nuama, said $20 million of the Chinese Development Bank (CDB) facility which comes in a grant had been earmarked for the development of physical infrastructure at the UHAS permanent campus at Sokode in the Volta Region.

Commodore Steve Obimpeh, who chaired the function, charged the implementation committee not to follow the trend of the culture of bureaucracy associated with public sector institutions as they strived to make the two institutions world-class learning and research institutions.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Wed, feb 7, 2012