Government not interested in building universities for votes – Professor Yankah

Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah has said the Akufo-Addo administration is not interested in building universities simply for votes or as a mode of thanking supportive constituencies.

“Let me emphasize that this government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo is not interested in building Universities simply for votes or for that matter thanking supportive constituencies with Universities, and conversely denying constituencies of facilities and institutions, as sanctions for votes that have been thrown away to other parties,” he said.

Prof. Yankah was speaking at the 18th Congregation of the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) when he made this assertion.

He noted that government would continue to encourage the setting up of Universities whose courses and programmes respond to the nation’s strategic needs and developmental priorities.

The Minister said this explains the government’s enthusiasm in fulfilling the tenets of the 2015 Act that set up the University of Environmental and Sustainable Development at Somanya, with other campuses.

“As I speak now the Italian firm which was awarded the contract to start work at the University site in Somanya, is preparing to move to site before this November ends.”

Additionally, he announced that government would build a University at Bunso that will specialise in Agriculture and Agro-entrepreneurship on one hand, as well as have a school of Engineering and Technology.

The Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education explained that in selecting Bunso, government took into consideration a pre-existing hub of agriculture-related institutions that could network and transform the location into a formidable research triangle and a centre of excellence.

The institutions, he said included University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies at Bunso, the Cocoa College (belonging to the Cocoa Board), the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo, and a research facility belonging to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Prof. Yankah hinted that feasibility studies on that project are currently being undertaken by a team of consultants from Korea working hand-in-hand with their Ghanaian counterparts.

“These Developments are bound to boost Ghana’s prospects in agricultural engineering and technology in furtherance of their national priorities”, he said.