A first class male student being congratulated by Mercy Haizel-Ashia, Registrar of the University
A visually-impaired student, Bukari Abdul Kudus, was adjudged the best graduating student in Political Science at the University of Ghana’s graduation last Saturday.
The student who delivered the valedictory speech during the colourful ceremony at the Great Hall held his audience spellbound as he narrated his sad story and how with determination he managed to complete his course successfully.
He lost one of his eyes some years back, but the remaining one is only 17 percent active. Doctors, he said in his speech, had warned that he needs surgery to obviate a total blindness; the cost of which Prof Gyampo of the Department of Political Science had garnered through contributions. The University Hospital has promised to make up for the balance.
His touching speech had contributions coming from various sources.
About 2,596 students graduated from the university. Many students have benefited from the university’s Students Financial Aid which was established in 2005, according to Prof Ebenezer Oduro-Owusu, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, in his speech.
The vice chancellor lauded the benevolence of its Student Representative Council (SRC), corporate bodies, churches, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, individuals and the alumni body for their respective contributions into the fund.
He explained that 120 needy but brilliant students who gain admission into the university are sponsored each year under the fund management programme which has made it a lifeline for their continuous education.
The professor who spoke on a number of issues with regards to policies and management of the university attributed the rapid success of the university to the implementation of its new transformational agenda.
The agenda, Prof Oduro-Owusu disclosed, is built on the principle of ‘2Rs – respect and ‘RINER’ – relevance, innovation, excellence and resource mobilisation.
“Our university is, therefore, working hard to place itself at the forefront among its peers of this role expected to be played by the education sector giving it a major revamp to compete favourably with its international partners,” he remarked.
According to him, the qualities have, no doubt, earned the university the admiration of the international community through whose efforts it has won a grant for the Building of Stronger Universities (BSU II) Project.
The grant which is a DANIDA-sponsored initiative is to be disbursed as a key component to support the university in its new transformational agenda to make it a world (first) class research institution.
“The project is expected to strengthen its capability to deliver high quality research PhD education and training, strengthen newly established centres of research excellence and improve administration processes, support and training,” he mentioned.
Kimathi Kuenyehia, Managing Partner of Kimathi &Partners who was the guest speaker for the event, urged the students to be guided by what he listed as four cardinal pillars whose adherence leads to great success.
He mentioned these as the wiliness to be associated with a habit of showing reasonable evidence of respect for self and others in society, adherence to timelines.
The remaining, he identified, are working to the best of one’s ability, a culture of engaging in critical reading habit and loyalty to God.
Kimathi Kueyehia regretted the lack of disciple among the youth and called for a joint effort to combat the menace.
BY Solomon Ofori