Assenso-Okyere says happy to be back

Accra, July 5, GNA - The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana Legon, Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere on Wednesday said he was happy to be back in office and that he had nothing to change in the existing University Administration.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in his office, he said, he had nothing to change because he did a lot to streamline the administration of the University and created Directorates like Sports, Human Resources Development, Finance, Academic, Physical Development and ICT. He emphasized that he was glad that all these Directorates were still working effectively.


The University Council in a notice dated June 30, 2006 announced that Professor Asenso-Okyere would resume office on June 3, 2006. He said since he resumed duty he had received a lot of visitors, who had booked appointments to meet the Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Asenso-Okyere stepped aside to allow investigations into examination malpractice that hit the University of Ghana during the 2004/2005 academic year. One of the key culprits in the scandal was his son, Kwadwo Tabiri Assenso-Okyere.


Asked about the transformation of Faculties to Schools and Colleges, Professor Asenso-Okyere said it was an ongoing process as the University grew.


He said he created the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and was aware that the creation of other colleges in the pipeline before he stepped aside.


The Vice Chancellor said his successor would be pushing some of the ideas forward.


Speaking on course structure in the University, he said the University had started updating courses to meet the demands of a changing society.

Prof. Asenso-Okyere ends his tenure at the end of September 2006. The new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Clifford Tagoe takes over on October 1 2006. He said some projects he initiated were in progress with some nearing completion, adding that he had been visiting the sites of the projects while he was not in office.


The Vice Chancellor said the stadium project began during his tenure of office would be completed in 2007 for use during the West African University Games.


He said he was happy that the University of Ghana would have a befitting stadium for its sports programmes.


Prof. Asenso-Okyere said during the time he stepped aside he was writing articles, and preparing an inaugural lecture for the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also wrote a book on development and prepared papers for international and local board meetings. Speaking on the controversial Students Representative Council (SRC) elections, which had left the University without substantive SRC, Professor Asenso-Okyere said the problems would be laid to rest and expressed the hope that a successful election would take place. On the Student Entrepreneurial Skills Programme, he said every student needed an entrepreneurial skill, adding that productivity was so low that the economy was not getting the right growth to increase development.


He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to work hard to increase the economic development of the country.


Prof. Asenso-Okyere commended the University community for not being distracted from its focus and said it should use the diversity that they had on the Campus for positive growth. He said it was time to retire and that he would disclose his plans at the appropriate time. He added that he was active; healthy; vibrant and had a lot of contributions to make towards the growth of society.