Government would continue to develop UDS- Kufuor

Tamale, Feb. 15, GNA - President Agyekum Kufuor, has assured the authorities of the University for Development Studies,(UDS) that government would continue to seek funding for the development of the University.

He said, while the government was still seeking funding for the infrastructural development of the University, it has instructed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to give special attention to the UDS for its development needs.

President Kufuor, said this in an address read for him, by Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Deputy Minister for Education Youth and Sports at the Fourth Congregation ceremony of the University in Tamale on Saturday. He also gave the assurance that the Tamale Teaching Hospital would be developed to a standard acceptable for the use of medical students for their academic and practical programmes.

President Kufuor urged the grandaunt's to, "demonstrate creativity by going into the private sector with the entrepreneurial skills they have acquired, adding that they would be judged not by the degrees they have obtained but what they could do for humanity.

President Kufuor reiterated that government is still determined to reconcile the feuding gates in Dagbon and bring back peace to the people of the area to ensure smooth development.

Professor John Kaburise, Vice-Chancellor of the UDS said, so far, the University had graduated 636 persons, made up of 542 male and 94 females.

The grandaunts took degrees in the fields of agriculture technology, integrated development studies, medicine and health sciences.

He said, in other to encourage female education as a way of reducing poverty, the University offered admission to all female applicants for the science courses, who obtained the basic qualification requirements. He said as a result of this female enrolment has increased within the last two academic years with a total of 297 females representing 28.8 per cent of the total number of admitted students.

This year, a total of 354 females gained admission, representing 28.5 percent of the number of admitted students.

Professor Kaburise said the GETFUND was currently funding a number of projects at the UDS, which included the construction of a three storey laboratory complex and library/ lecture hall at the Tamale campus at the Nyankapala campus, a library complex and a 600 capacity lecture hall is also under construction.

Dr Hakim Wemah, Chairman of the University Council appealed to government for a special foundation seed money to help develop the University's infrastructure.

He also appealed to government to consider a special allocation of funds each year solely for the running its "unique third trimester field practical training programme."

The University conferred Honorary Doctorate Degrees on Mrs Harriet Fulbright of the USA, Professor Mapule Frances Ramashala of South Africa, Hajia Salamatu Ibrahim Taimako, a traditional herbalist and Dr K.B. Asante a renowned diplomat and statesman.