The Wa Technical University remains the only Technical University in Ghana without a students’ hostel. The lack of accommodation has negatively affected enrolment figures at the institution.
Speaking at the 1st Congregation of the Technical University at Wa, the Interim Vice Chancellor, Professor Baba Insah said construction of the structure that was intended to serve as a students’ hostel has stalled for over a decade.
Professor Insah urged GETfund and Government to consider allocating funds to complete the project.
The Wa Technical University started in September 1999 as a Polytechnic. An Interim Governing Council was appointed in 2002 to provide policy direction to the then Polytechnic.
Following the passing of the Technical University Act, 2016 (ACT 922), the Technical University (Amendment) Act 2018, (ACT 974) and the Technical University (Amendment) Act 2020 (ACT 1016) the Wa Polytechnic was converted to a Technical University.
At its 1st Congregation, Higher National Diplomas were conferred on 159 students.
The Interim Vice Chancellor, Professor Baba Insah said the institution has continued to press on despite the many challenges. Professor Insah said steps are being taken to introduce new programmes at the Wa Technical University.
“We have submitted ten (10) new proposals to NCTE/National Accreditation Board (NAB) to mount TOP-UP and 4-year Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) Programmes mainly in Engineering and Applied Science/Arts fields. We have since appeared before the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) to defend the said proposals and we are now putting some finishing touches for clearance to run at least four (4) B-Tech programmes in Engineering,” he said.
Professor Insah said through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) a forty unit staff flat is under construction and is yet to be completed. “The staff flats are about 80% complete and we hope and pray they would be finished soon for staff to be housed on campus,” he said.
Speaking to the graduands, Professor Insah urged them to be disciplined and stay committed to duty.
He encouraged them not to be daunted by the challenge of securing jobs but rather use the training given to them by the university to be self-reliant.
He also encouraged the graduands to enroll unto the new degree programmes that are to be rolled out by the institution.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Wa Technical University, Professor Daniel Bagah said the institution’s mandate of producing qualified persons for the areas of Science, Technology, Applied Science and Arts is on course.
“Our mandate as a Technical University is geared towards producing middle level personnel in the areas of Science, Technology, Applied Science and Arts. [These people] ultimately are the forerunners of any meaningful socio-economic development. We are endowed with lots of natural resources ranging from clay, water bodies and fruits. This places the University in a position to strategically support and promote the government policy of One District One factory and for the Planting for Food and Jobs,” he said.
Professor Bagah commended government for the decision to re-tool laboratories of Technical Universities saying, the move, will help Technical Universities operate effectively and efficiently in a bid to promote self-employability and reduce graduate unemployment.
The Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Issahaku Tahiru Moomen commended the students for the work they have put in their studies.
Mr Moomen restated government’s commitment to tertiary education.
He said the process to ensure that the guarantor system in the application process for students’ loan is scrapped is on course.
Solomon Bacho from the Business School, Department of Accountancy emerged as the overall best graduating student with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.5 while Kubura Pasenaa from the Department of Secretaryship and Management Studies emerged as the best female graduating student with a CPGA of 4.3.
Other students were awarded for their sterling performances.
Story Filed By: Mark Smith
