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Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (middle) inaugurating the governing council of the University of Mines and Technology. Picture: INNOCENT K. OWUSU
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (middle) inaugurating the governing council of the University of Mines and Technology. Picture: INNOCENT K. OWUSU

Make UMaT centre of scientific excellence

A new governing council for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT),Tarkwa, has been inaugurated in Accra, with a charge on it to adopt international best practices to make the institution a centre of scientific advancement and excellence.

The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh ,who gave the charge at the inaugural ceremony, said it was expected that the decisions and actions of the council would contribute to increasing the number and quality of engineers in the country.

“I would urge you to endeavour to establish strategic partnerships with international institutions with similar mandate and focus in order for the university to benefit from international best practices,” he advised.

Council members

The council is chaired by a government nominee, Dr Stephen Saforo Yirenkyi. Other government nominees are, Dr Kofi Osei-Afoakwa, Dr Martin Koduah, Dr Francis Aboagye-Otchere and Mrs Helen Michelle K. Essandoh.

Other members include Mr Victor Amangu Yanney representing the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Prof. Richard Kwasi Amankwah and Dr Anthony Simons, representing a convocation of professionals and non-professionals, as well as Mr Rowland Philip Baffoe, representing the senior staff of the university.

The rest are Mr Stephen Kofi Ndede who represents the university’s alumni, Mr Jonas Owsas Adarkwah, a representative of the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana (GRASAG), Mr Hamza Mohammed Sherif, representing the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Mr Sulemanu Koney of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and Mr Joseph Woode, a representative of the Junior Staff Association.

Expectations of government

Dr Prempeh told members of the council that the government expected the body to be one that proposed workable solutions and not one that only identified problems.

“The solutions you would propose must be those that would ultimately help the university achieve its goal and provide expanded access to high quality science education,” he said.

Dr Prempeh reminded members of the council that among other mandates, the council was required to establish income- generating sources as part of the university’s schedule, control the university’s finances, as well as determine the proper allocation and use of funds.

“You are required to conserve and at the same time augment the resources of the university relating specifically to matters affecting income and expenditure. You are also required to create an environment of equal opportunity for members of the university community without regard to ethnicity, sex, race, religious belief or political affiliation,” he said.

Dr Prempeh noted that as a growing institution, the university faced a number of challenges which required urgent and innovative solutions.

He charged the council, therefore, to provide the required guidance and leadership for innovative solutions to be found and implemented.

Response

In response to the minister’s charge, Dr Yirenkyi, pledged that the council would live up to expectation.

He said members of the council saw their mission as a calling, “and with God being our helper, we shall work religiously and not fail the nation.”

He expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in the members of the council.

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