New lecture hall building for University of Education inaugurated

Winneba, Feb 16, GNA - A 12-billion-cedi lecture hall building for the University of Education, Winneba has been commissioned at Winneba. The building made up of 50 rooms and funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund GETfund was named after the first Principal of the University, Professor Nathaniel Kofi Pecku, who was instrumental in initiating the project.

Mr Fosuaba Mensah Banahene, Administrator of the GETfund, said a total of 2.016 trillion cedis had been spent from 2001 to 2006 on the infrastructure for both public and accredited private universities and other tertiary institutions.

The Administrator noted that even though 65 percent of the country's budget went into the education sector a lot was spent on the salaries of teachers leaving a little for infrastructure, which had delayed the completion of many projects in tertiary institutions. He announced that 18 tertiary institutions in the country were going to have auditoriums, Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres, bungalows and academic facilities through the GETfund this year to enhance educational development.

Mr Mensah Banahene said 582 billion cedis would be spent on infrastructure and other facilities in the tertiary institutions nation wide when Parliament gives approval for the Board of Trustees of the fund to release the money.

He noted that government recognised the importance of teachers and was prepared to support the Universities to function effectively. The Administrator said the GETfund would provide funds for the construction of a lodge for the Vice Chancellor of University of Education, Winneba this year and pledged that the second and third phases of the lecture hall project started this year would be pursued when the consultants submit their documents early. Professor Jophus Anamuah Mensah, Vice Chancellor of the University, commended Getfund for the completion of the project and praised the contractor for an excellent job done in spite of the problems that the company went through.

He expressed his delight that the building was being dedicated after Prof Pecku and praised him for his hard work. Prof Pecku said the building was critical to the work of the institution and expressed the hope that its completion would help lecturers to prepare well for effective teaching.