President Kufuor Urges Corporate Bodies To Aid Development Efforts

President John Agyekum Kufuor has called on corporate bodies to allocate part of their resources to support various tertiary institutions in the country if Ghana is to attain a middle income status by 2015.

He said it was the desire of government for tertiary institutions to contribute positively to the development of the country in its quest to make the 2015 vision attainable.

The President said this in a speech read for him at the maiden matriculation and official opening of the Agogo Campus of the Presbyterian University College (PUC) at Agogo in the Asante Akim North Municipality in the Ashanti Region last Monday.

President Kufuor noted that the middle income status might not be realised unless there was a close collaboration between tertiary institutions and corporate bodies, which depended on universities for the supply of labour.

'It is in the light of the above that I call on the corporate institutions in the country to offer some support to the tertiary institutions by contracting them to research into problems confronting them,' he emphasised.

He further pointed out that such a move would be mutually beneficial since through such symbiotic relationship, the problems of industry would be solved and tertiary institutions would gain access to research funds, which would give students and lecturers the platform for teaching and learning opportunities to accumulate knowledge essential for national development.

According to the President, government had in recent years, provided infrastructure and academic facilities to private tertiary institutions thereby increasing access to higher education across the country.

He commended the Presbyterian church of Ghana for the bold step to locate their campuses outside the regional capitals saying it was significant because it fell into government policy of encouraging enterprises to be located in the districts to encourage socio-economic development.

He urged the people of Agogo to embrace the University and provide an enabling environment for staff and students to effectively integrate in the community to promote education in the area.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the Moderator of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of Ghana, advocated for a specific percentage of the GETFund to be allocated to private tertiary institutions since they were complementing government's efforts of making education accessible to all.

He said private universities were making their mark in contributing to the human resources agenda of government, adding that students trained in such institutions were also Ghanaians who deserve a portion of the national cake.

The Moderator disclosed that since 2003 when the university took off to crown the pioneering work of the Church in education, the PCG had teamed up with the PUC administration and stakeholders to ensure that the university fulfilled its vision.

He stated that with over 2000 pre-tertiary institutions being managed by the Church, it was very expedient for the Church to provide avenues for the over 400,000 pupils and students in her institutions to move into the tertiary level.

He said the educational philosophy of PUC would go beyond the traditional classroom education to prepare men and women who would apply their advanced learning skills in the service of the Church, country and humanity.

Prof Kofi Sraku-Lartey, Principal of the PUC said the University was established to train students in accordance with the true Presbyterian tradition of excellence, discipline and morality, stressing that products of the institution would be imbued with knowledge and high moral standards that would make positive impact on society.