Catholic University holds matriculation ceremony

Sunyani, Oct. 29, GNA - Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister at the weekend stressed that the country's educational reforms are meant to enable the country to adequately face the challenges of nationhood.

"The new (educational) reforms are aimed at preparing the youth to help our nation to adequately face its challenges in development", he said.

The Regional Minister was addressing the fourth matriculation ceremony of the Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre held on the University's campus at the Pastoral Centre in Sunyani. A total of 175 fresh students, some from West African countries, were admitted to pursue various degree courses.

Nana Seinti commended the Roman Catholic Church for its immense role in the country's human resource development, noting that the church not only offered circular but moral education as well.

He said the government recognized the church's shining contributions also in the health sector and congratulated the church's authorities for their efforts.

The Regional Minister reminded students of the university that they were not only being offered academic training but also to become responsible men and women to occupy useful positions.

He therefore urged the students to gird up their loins in the pursuit of their careers and avoid acts on campus that could jeopardize the achievement of their aims and objectives.

Nana Seinti noted the high level of indiscipline on the campuses of, especially second-cycle and tertiary institutions, which many acknowledge as "a modern spirit" but cautioned that such spirit was dangerous and must be "killed."

He mentioned acts like wee smoking, use of other narcotic drugs, rape, armed robbery and marks buying among students and urged students of the university to recognize the sterling level of discipline of the Catholic Church, which had seen the high academic performance of its institutions.

"If you are not imbued with the Spirit of God and the spirit of the nation, then your training will come to nothing", the Regional Minister told the students.

Professor Ebo Mensah, acting President of the University noted the steady progress of the institution since its inception in November 2003 and expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their continued efforts. He said the University now has 355 students on campus and with the increasing admissions, the problem of hostels had risen culminating in the University authorities to renting six more houses to be used as hostels in addition to the existing five. The acting President appealed to landlords and landladies to recognize the status of the institution as a "young university" to draw moderate rent charges.

Professor Mensah said the University aimed at turning out graduates imbued with sound ethical principles and moral values. The Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, Most Reverend Dr. Matthew Gyamfi, advised the students to be guided by tested ideas of the past and look for new interesting ideas since they were being trained to become socially useful citizens.