VRA gives 500 million cedis to KNUST

Accra, Sept. 23, GNA - Professor Kwesi Andam, Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), on Friday asked the Volta River Authority (VRA) to accelerate the procurement procedure to bring the second bulk of electricity for Kumasi to the University campus.

He said when that was done it would enable the University to attain a five star status and make Ghana and Africa proud.

"There is only one utility that is hindering KNUST from becoming the ultimate Five Star University and that commodity is uninterrupted supply of electricity to the University," Prof Andam explained. KNUST was presently the leading science and technology university in Africa, he said.

Professor Andam was speaking at a ceremony at which VRA presented a cheque for 500 million cedis to KNUST for the establishment of VRA Chair of Electrical Engineering at the University.

The money would enable KNUST to employ a chair, (an expert) to lead research in engineering that would benefit both the University and the Authority.

The donation formed part of actions and assistance agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding, which the two institutions had signed for the mutual benefit of the two.

Prof. Andam commended VRA for its continual partnership with the University, which served as the Authority's main human resource centre and described it as one of the biggest industrial establishments that employed a large number of engineers and technicians.

He said for Ghana to achieve her middle-income status, she needed science and technology to turn round her economy, adding that the University was accordingly strategising to grow to reach a population of 40,000 by 2014, up from the current number of 21,443.

Prof. Adam said KNUST would also partner with all major industries in Ghana as the university's graduates were found in all major industries.

He indicated that the University in its effort to partner with all industries consulted the major one who gave inputs to develop the curricula for its 2004/2005 academic year.

Mr Joshua Ofedie, Chief Executive Officer, VRA who together with the Board Chairman of the Authority, Mr Osei Asamoa Bonsu presented the cheque to the University, said since quality education was not cheap, the task of providing it must be a shared responsibility between industries, beneficiaries and government.

He described KNUST as the single most important source of technical and engineering know-how in the operation and management of the Authority's core business of power supply, saying, "we are therefore happy to support the University, by supporting ourselves". Mr Ofedie expressed worry over recent events on university campuses, such as examination malpractices, saying they were already affecting the quality of products from those institutions and credibility of their certificates.

He called on the university administrations to take immediate steps to halt the trend in order to maintain the high standards of education in the country.