Volta University can't pay staff

The problems confronting the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) have moved from bad to worse, with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Fred Binka, announcing that there is no money to even pay his staff.

Whilst battling with how to pay staff, the Chinese contractors who are constructing lecture halls and other facilities for the new university, have also become frustrated because the well which provides them with water has dried up.

The University that is struggling to stand on its feet is now supplying water on daily bases to the contractors at great cost.

What appears to have exacerbated the situation is the lack of electricity supply to the permanent site at Sokode, a suburb of Ho, where the Chinese contractors are working.

Lack of access roads to the Sokode site has also become a pain in the neck of the university authorities, which has the responsibility to ensure that the permanent site is ready for use on the schedule time.

Prof. Fred Binka, who was expressing his concern over the development during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is calling for urgent attention to address the issue for the smooth take off, of the new university.

According to the Vice Chancellor, contractors who completed the incubatory facilities for the university have still not been paid, but the impression was being created as if they (university authorities) had been paid the money and yet refused to release it to the contractors.

He, therefore, appealed to the Deputy Minister to nudge the government to release money to pay the contractors.

Prof. Binka also told the Deputy Minister that his outfit had started the construction of a building to house the Anatomy laboratory, which would be completed in March, 2014.

The lab building, he continued, could accommodate 100 students at a time for practical studies and that the university would no longer be visiting Korle-Bu for practical work.

He continued that the university needed physiology laboratory for practical activities, as well as additional classrooms, stressing that as a result of lack of infrastructure, the university has rented the conference hall of the Ghana Nurses Association in Ho, for students’ use.

The Vice Chancellor pointed out that the university authority rented private hostels for students and the school itself was building more residential accommodation for staff to augment the existing ones.

Touching on academic activities of the University, Prof. Binka said his outfit’s attention was on community service and research, adding that as part of specialized training programme, students are made to serve eight weeks in the various districts in the region, but accommodation was the problem confronting them.

He, therefore, appealed to the District Chief Executives to support the University by providing accommodation for students in their respective areas, adding that specialized lecturers have been transferred to the various hospitals in the districts for consultancy services, who also teach at the University to promote effective health delivery.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, who inspected the facilities at both the incubatory campus and the permanent site at Sokode, commended the Vice Chancellor of the University for his Hard Work and dedication to duty, which made it possible for the university to achieve its current status.

Mr. Okudzeto–Ablakwa pledged government’s preparedness to invest in newly established universities in the country, including UHAS saying resources from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) would be invested in these institutions.

According to the Deputy Education Minister, the delays in the payment of the contractors at UHAS could be attributed to the Ministry of Finance and assured the UHAS authorities that every effort was being made by the treasury to pay the contractors