New UG Vice-Chancellor to introduce ‘one student one laptop'

The newly inducted Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has announced she will institute a 'one-student-one-Laptop' initiative.

According to her, this will help equip students for the technological drive.

Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo believes technology must be inculcated in Ghana's education system to unleash the best out of students for nation-building.

Speaking at her induction ceremony, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo called on the President to waive taxes on the product to make the devices affordable for students and staff of the institution.

“Mr. President, drawing a cue from you, I intend to institute a ONE STUDENT ONE LAPTOP POLICY, where we collaborate with established IT companies to provide our students and staff with their own laptop/handheld devices. Mr. President, in this regard we will need your support and that of your government to waive taxes for us, making these devices affordable for our students and staff.”

“The need for them to acquire their own laptops/handheld devices is critical in a period where we are upscaling technology to make us functional in the fourth revolution as we live through and beyond a pandemic”, she announced.

On plans to increase access to education, Prof. Appiah Amfo disclosed that the University will be setting up two more City campuses.

The campuses will be established in Kumasi and Takoradi.

“As part of a double-pronged approach to make our education more accessible to the teeming high school graduates from all over the country, and to upscale graduate education on our main campus, I am supervising the establishment of two City Campuses, already approved by Council. I will monitor their operations and replicate the model in other Learning Centres across the country,” she said. Help us clear our debts

Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, also appealed to President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene in the payment of the university's debt to relieve the institution of its financial burden.

The University of Ghana was recently slapped with a $165 million judgment debt over the termination of the Africa Integras deal.

Speaking at her induction ceremony, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo said the government's intervention will help them start on a clean slate.

“A few issues which have consumed the management of UG in recent years are financial liabilities, resulting mainly from judgement debts and botched agreements.”

Mr. President, I would like to make an appeal to your government to deliver us from this rogue that hinders our growth and efforts to be truly world-class. I am making a special appeal to you to support us to clear our unfortunate debt, so we can get a clean slate to start on.”

Speaking at the same event, President Akufo-Addo pledged his support to the newly inducted Vice Chancellor for the University of Ghana.

—citinewsroom