The Management of Sunyani Technical University has called for an increase in the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) annual allocation to the university toward the early completion of the Science Park project, which began almost two decades ago. The 4-storey Science Park project began in 2007 but several years down the line, only the Ground floor has been completed and put to use.
Speaking at the durbar held over the weekend to climax activities marking the 55th anniversary of the university, the Vice-Chancellor, Ing. Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, noted that the yearly allocation by GETFund toward the completion of the project has been woefully inadequate.
“I, therefore, appeal to the President to use his good office to grant a special GETFund allocation to STU for the completion of this important project to resolve the acute staff office and classroom accommodation challenges facing the university at the moment”, he stated.
The Vice-Chancellor further called for the construction of the four-kilometer road network within the university’s campus, especially the road linking the main campus and the water-loo section of the institution, to save students and staff of grappling with dust during harmattan, and mud during the rainy season.
Ing. Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah also asked for the construction of a footbridge across the university’s main entrance and the other side of the main Sunyani-Kumasi road to save students and other pedestrians from frequent knockdowns by motorists.
He called on STU’s business partners, alumni, corporate bodies, philanthropists and the public at large to take keen interest in the development of the institution for it to realize its mandate of raising the next generation of entrepreneurially-inclined industry captains for job and wealth creation in Ghana and beyond.
Ing. Dr. Kwame Agyeman Boakye, Chairman of the STU Governing Council, said that in line with the government’s decision to place more emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), STU continues to carve a niche for itself in the training of human resources, especially in the areas of engineering, technology, technical and vocational needs of the country.
“It has over the years produced some of the best professionals who have provided and continue to provide critical services, both in the public and the private sectors across the country, and indeed the world”, he added.
Ing. Dr. Agyeman Boakye said STU has over the years experienced productive growth, in terms of responsibility, scope of activities and student population, saying; “At the moment, STU offers four-year Bachelor of Technology degree programmes, and Higher National Diploma programmes which are all geared toward technical and vocational education and training.”
“I am also happy to announce that we now have administrative approval to run two-year Research Master of Technology (M-Tech) degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Civil Engineering programmes. Efforts are also underway to obtain the requisite accreditation for the running of other post-graduate programmes in the near future”, he again said.
The Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, underscored the crucial role of technical education to Ghana’s industrialisation drive, which seeks to stimulate and transform the structure of the economy from primary to secondary levels.
“In view of this, the NPP government, led by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that technical education is given the needed impetus to drive the transformation to industrialisation and accelerated socio-economic development of the country”, she explained.
End
