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Tamale, Ghana – Governing Council Chairman of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Nutifafa Kuenyehia, has expressed concern about the inadequate infrastructure on all four campuses of the university as well as the lack of funding for research and staff development.
According to him, the challenges currently confronting the university are critical if management have to be adequately prepared for the post 2020 senior high school enrolment.
“Ours have been issues of poor power supply, outdated and insufficient information communication technology (ICT) equipment. There is inadequate and insufficient staff in critical areas, and other areas of specialization.
“Nyankpala which gave birth to the university seems to be a forgotten and neglected mother – only it has not been pronounced as a witch. The National Accreditation Board (NAB) threatened
not to accredit some courses on the campus, because of the dust from the untarred roads. The accommodation there is depressing, as revealed by our surprised visit to the campus.
“Security of both students and staff continues to be a source of worry to us. Lecturers at Wa campus, for instance, have to lock their doors whilst in their offices. In October, a male student of the same campus was a victim of cutlass wounds and robbery. Although the Inspector General of Police has graciously agreed to assign policemen to the various campuses, we do not have the structures to house them”.
Mr. Kuenyehia revealed these on Saturday November 17, 2018 at the second edition of the 19th Congregation and 25 Anniversary Celebration of the UDS at the Tamale campus in the Northern Region of Ghana.
The first part of the congregation was held on November 10, 2018 at the Tamale campus, which saw President Nana Akufo-Addo attending it as Special Guest of Honour. About 5,605 diploma and undergraduate students who successfully completed various programmes of study graduated during the first congregation ceremony.
Today, the second part of the congregation also saw some 162 postgraduate students including 5 PhD holders who have also successfully completed various programmes of study graduated at the same venue.
This last congregation marks the climax of the silver jubilee anniversary of the UDS which was launched in October 2017 under the theme: “UDS at 25: Impact on National Development Through Practical Higher Education”.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye in his address, said the anniversary theme called to mind the mandate given to the university to “blend theory with practice” as a means to ensure the development of Northern Ghana in particular, and the whole country.
He noted that the university authority was working hard towards the provision of the necessary infrastructure including accommodation and lecture hall, laboratory and office facilities for both students and staff on all campuses with the little internally generated funds, support from the Ghana Education Trust Fund and some financial institutions.
“We are grateful to all who made this possible, especially the Islamic Development Bank who assisted us to complete a four–storey students’ hostel in Nyankpala. We are also grateful to government for awarding the contract for rehabilitation of internal roads in Nyankpala…”, he
said.
Prof. Teye also indicated that the authority was working to improve ICT services to staff and students, and to ensure that the university derives maximum benefit by way of using technology in its work.
The UDS started in 1993 on borrowed premises with an initial enrolment of 39 students into a single academic programme, BSc in Agriculture Technology. Currently, the university has four campuses; Wa campus, Navrongo campus, Nyankpala campus and the Tamale campus and programmes are now a total 130.
The staff strength has increased from an initial 60 in 1993 to 1, 691 currently with 19 faculties, Schools and institutions as against one at its inception.
Within the last 25 years, the UDS has produced 42, 579 graduates who are contributing in divers fields to national growth and prosperity.
By Savannahnewsonline.com/Philip Liebs
