Projects at University of Ghana inaugurated

Accra, Nov. 23 GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday inaugurated three projects completed at the University of Ghana, Legon, through Government's extra-budgetary allocation of 20 billion cedis in 2003.

These included a four-storey hostel with accommodation capacity for 240 students, an ultra modern lecture theatre with fixtures for audiovisual rooms and 12 two-bedroomed duplex residential bungalows for 24 families.

President Kufuor two years ago, directed that each of the Country's old public universities should be given 20 billion cedis to build lecture halls and provide students and staff accommodation. Inaugurating the projects, he said, the over stretched facilities at the universities had been weighing heavily on the thoughts of his Administration.

He said he was, therefore, happy that in less than two years of the announcement of the support package, the projects had become reality, adding: "This is a record in the history of our country."

President Kufuor praised the Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Education and Sports, the University and the Contractors for the collaboration that ensured the early completion of the structures, which, he described as, excellent example of good value for money. He advised the University Authorities to set aside proceeds from the hostel to help to find solution to the infrastructure problems facing it, pointing out that, by so doing they could count on the continued support of the Government.

President Kufuor said since University was not only made up of buildings but faculties, it was important the Authorities saw to it that the increasing enrolment was matched with proportionate increase in the number lecturers.

He also drew attention to the reputation and image the University of Ghana had carved for itself over the years and asked that this should be sustained.

President Kufuor suggested that the new lecture theatre should be named after the first Ghanaian Professor of the University, Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia, who he said, worked tirelessly towards the development of the institution and the country.

Professor Kwesi Yankah, the Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor, expressed appreciation to President Kufuor for his personal interest and commitment to the University, and appealed to him to help to reactivate work on a lecture hall project initiated during the Busia regime and had been abandoned for the past 34 years.

The three-storey structure, with facilities for language laboratories and offices for the Faculty of Arts, he said, had become an embarrassing relic, which needed rescuing outside the Ghana Education Trust Fund.