Okyeman to inaugurate first traditional university in the country

Kyebi (E/R), Sept. 30, GNA - The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, is to inaugurate the Bunso University College of Agriculture and Environment, at Bunso on October 10.

The university is the first tertiary institution to be established by a traditional council in the country.

The inauguration of the college forms part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of Osagyefuo Ofori Panin to the Ofori Panin stool, as the Okyenhene.

This was contained in a speech read on behalf of the Okyenhene, when a group of travel writers called at the palace on Wednesday.

He said the inauguration of the university college falls in line with the tradition of the Akyem Abuakwa traditional council of always taking the lead in the establishment of institutions of learning.

It would be recalled that about 72 years ago, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council under the reign of Nana Ofori Atta II, established the Abuakwa State College, which was then the only second cycle institution in the country to be established by a traditional council.

The Rector of the University College, Mr Kwame Serbeh-Yiadom, said the University would commence enrolment of students in January 2010 and would be offering courses leading to Bachelor of Science (BSC) in sustainable agricultural science, sustainable forestry, environmental science and environmental management.

He said all students of the college would be made to take a compulsory course in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Mr Serbeh-Yiadom said the university college is affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kumasi, University of Waggningen, Holland and also has a working relationship with the Good Governance Group of the United Kingdom.

He said the college had research relations with the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), Tafo, the Plant Genetics Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Oil Palm Research Institute of Kusi.

Mr Serbeh-Yiadom said the Kwae Oil Palm Plantation Limited had also expressed its desire to collaborate with the university college in research.

He said currently, the university college was completing some building structures on the compound of the Bunso Cocoa College and the rehabilitation of some structures to be used for the college.

Mr Serbeh-Yiadom said the university college would exist side by side with the Bunso Cocoa College.

He expressed the hope that the presence of the university college would inspire the introduction of future degree programmes in cocoa studies at the college.

GNA