Barclays Bank supports KNUST needy students

Barclays Bank of Ghana on Monday presented a cheque for GH¢ 2,000 (¢20 million) to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as the last tranche of a GH¢10,000 (¢100 million) fund it instituted about five years ago for its needy students.

The bank had supported such students with GH¢2,000 annually since 2002 when the KNUST introduced the quota system for admitting brilliant but needy students from less endowed schools.

Presenting the cheque Mrs. Shola Sarfo-Duodu, Head of Corporate Affairs of the bank, said the gesture was part of the bank's vision to set aside one percent of its pre-tax profit every year to promote education, health and entrepreneurial development in the country.

She said the bank, which is bent on helping to maximize potentials of individuals, was also involved in other projects such as the construction of a medical school for the Cape Coast University among other things.

Receiving the cheque Prof Kwasi Kwarfo Adarkwa, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, said since human resource was invaluable in the country's development, education must be held in high esteem.

He said to ensure accelerated development, tertiary education must also be respected as an avenue for the training of students to be assertive, creative and analytical.

Prof Adarkwa said since some of the students who acquired tertiary education were not adequately resourced, they completed without the necessary skills.

He said education was no more for the rich only, therefore there was the need for all stakeholders to support the needy but brilliant students and that some stakeholders had started supporting but it was not enough.

Prof Adarkwa said the donation would help the beneficiaries pay their facility user fee as well as other educational needs throughout their stay on campus.

The Vice-Chancellor appealed to the bank to provide the university with streetlights to ensure the safety of the students.