Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum
The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, last Friday inaugurated seven governing councils of public universities at a special ceremony at the Education Village in Accra.
The inaugurated council members who swore an oath of office and secrecy are to steer the affairs of their universities for the next three years.
Speaking at separate inaugural ceremonies, Dr. Adutwum charged the members not to focus only on the financial growth of their respective universities, but the development of quality education in the schools as well.
He explained that, although it was prudent to improve the financial position of the institutions they represented, there was also the need for them to take a keen interest in the courses pursued and their relevance to the 21st century job market needs.
Dr. Adutwum asked them to have a second and a critical look at courses in their institutions and their relevance to the current market needs and what industry players wanted.
Leadership Slots
The University for Development Studies (UDS) has Prof. Wayo Seini as Chairman, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has Piesie Kofi Asante, University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) has Dr. Stephen Saforo Yirenkyi, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) – Justice Jones Victor Mawulom Dotse.
The rest are Akenteng Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) went to Paul Kwasi Agyemang, Simon Diedong (SD) Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies was given to Kwaku Yamoah Painstil whilst C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences went to Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare.
Apart from the chairpersons, other members of the various councils were made up of the Vice-Chancellors, representatives of University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Tertiary Education Workers Union (TEWU), Government nominees, Alumni and Student Representative Councils (SRC), among others.
The Education Minister stated that looking at the critical role played by tertiary institutions in the socio-economic transformation of the country, there was the need for the governing board members to redouble their effort at getting the best for their institutions and the nation as a whole.
Dr. Adutwum assured that the government remains focused on the operations of all tertiary institutions in the country since that was the vessel for the nation’s socio-economic transformation, saying “you have the opportunity to correct any deficiency that you came and met as a group, and turn it around for the good of your institutions in addition to the general education requirement. Take a keen interest in curriculum and instruction side of the courses in your institution.
“Now that Ghana is the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is the need for all institutions in the country to take advantage of it and create programmes and courses to match the needs and aspirations of the continent to get opportunities for job creation and products for the market.”
Benjamin Kofi Gyasi, Chief Director for the Ministry of Education, urged the council members to see the appointment as a call to duty to get the best for the nation and not a mere representative of a group.