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 Dr Sylvester Achio (seated middle), Rector, Accra Polytechnic,  with the old and new POTAG executives. Picture: EMMANUEL ASAMOAH ADDAI

Remaining polytechnics will also become technical universities — Okudzeto

The Deputy Minister of Education (MoE) in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has pledged the government’s commitment to ensure that the remaining four public polytechnics are transformed into technical universities under the second phase of the programme.

Mr Ablakwa made the remarks at the inauguration of the national executive of the Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana (POTAG) in Accra, on Friday.

His comments were in relation to a statement in Parliament by President John Dramani Mahama on public polytechnics last Thursday.

State of the Nation Address

In his State of the Nation Address, the President said in September this year, six public polytechnics out of the 10 would be transformed into technical universities, while plans were underway to upgrade the remaining four under the second phase of the transitional project.

Those to be transformed by September are the Accra, Koforidua, Kumasi, Ho, Sunyani and Takoradi polytechnics, while the Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region; the Tamale Polytechnic in the Northern Region; the Bolgatanga Polytechnic in the Upper West Region, and the Cape Coast Polytechnic in the Central Region are to be transformed under the second phase.

He urged stakeholders to support the government in that endeavour to ensure that all public polytechnics benefited from the transition process.

The new national executive to run the affairs of the association are from the Accra Polytechnic, and they took over from the Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region.

The leadership of the association, according to its constitution, rotates among the 10 regions in Ghana for a two-year period.

 The current executive include the President, Mr Emmanuel Agyeman; the Vice, Mr Daniel Osabutey; the General Secretary, Mr Daniel Worwui-Brown; the Organiser, Mr Kenneth Fiati, and the Treasurer, Mr Peter Arhinful.

Conditions of service

Mr Ablakwa, in his solidarity message, congratulated the new executive and urged them to be diplomatic in all their dealings with the government, especially in issues concerning conditions of service.

 “This year, we are being proactive in our engagements, to ensure that issues relating to industrial strikes will be a thing of the past,” he assured.

He added that until the National Research Fund was gazetted, the government was still committed to paying the book and research allowance, and assured them that their arrears would be settled soon.

 

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