Professor Sakyi cautioned to challenges as Rector

Ho, April 1, GNA - Professor Emmanuel Kojo Sakyi, has been invested into Office as the fourth Rector of the Ho Polytechnic.

Professor Sakyi took over from Dr J.V.K. Affun.
He said his dream and vision were, 'To create a vibrant institutional environment that stimulates and supports career focused education, technical skills training and cutting edge research in partnership with business and industry.'

'Change is a natural law of life; and those who remained only in the past or present are certain to miss the future.'

Professor Sakyi said he would, therefore, pursue strategies in 'institutional re-engineering through adaptive change.'

He declared, 'I will ensure that collegiality, honesty, integrity, and accountability and teamwork reign supreme. I pledge to take the lead role and chart the path for the others to follow.'

In his welcome address, Professor Mawutor Avoke, Chairman of the Polytechnic Council, called for total support from the Polytechnic community for Professor Sakyi.    

'We also need a radical shift in our ways of doing things, particularly, our attitude to governance and work.'

'All of this will be critical as we transit into a Technical University,' he said.

'It will therefore be critical for us all to re-focus our energies into building a very strong institution'.

Prof Sakyi was Research a Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) in 1999, and was, subsequently, appointed a lecturer, senior lecturer and Head of the Department of Public Administration and Health Service Management of the University of Ghana Business School in 2000, 2005 and 2009, respectively.

In July last he was appointed as the Rector of Ho Polytechnic, and he assumed office October 1.

Prof Sakyi's research interests are 'in Policy Design and Implementation; Climate Change; Adaptive Capacity and Policy Responses and Public Management and Governance Reforms in the Public Sector; Decentralization/Privatization and Organizational Change and Performance in Health and Education sectors in developing African countries,' an official document said.

In his remarks, his predecessor,   Dr Affun, said during his tenure he developed systems and policies and fulfilled his agenda    of giving the Polytechnic the local and international visibility and exposure, which were non-existent when he assumed office.

He said as a result credible information could be obtained about the Polytechnic and application for admission could be done on-line internet.

DrAffun said he was also able to bring the ailing financial condition of Polytechnic to health from a debt situation of 600,000 Ghana cedis and reliance on bank drafts.

He said he blocked all avenues of misappropriation and by his second year the financial situation of the Polytechnic was healthy enough to undertake the construction of an engineering block,   growth in staff strength from 131 to 171 and the establishment of a number of academic    partnerships between the Polytechnic and similar institutions abroad.

Dr Affun however, said the last 60 days of his term were turbulent and intimidating but he held his ground.

In the last days of Dr Affun's tenure there were reported agitations over his severance package.

GNA