1,000 Liberian refugees to receive tertiary education

Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - About 1,000 Liberian refugees would be admitted to pursue various causes in tertiary institutions in Ghana, Mr James Kollie, Vice President of the Association for the Reconstruction of Liberia, announced at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday. He said the courses would be from Higher National Diploma (HND) to PHD programmes.

Five hundred students would pursue programmes leading to the award of HND while others would pursue university education from first degree to PhD.

Mr Kollie said money pledged at a donor's conference organized in New York by United Nations and International Donor Community for the reconstruction of Liberia would be used for their training. He said capacity building was vital to rebuilding Liberia since the 14-year civil war had left no professional manpower.

Mr Kollie said the Association in collaboration with Modern Age Technologies (MAT) had forwarded a project proposal for the construction of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre at Buduburam to the United Nations Secretary-General, Busumuru Kofi Annan and President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Dr Michael Anane Abrah, Founder and President of MAT, said work on the ICT Centre, which was expected to start this year, would offer free ICT training to an estimated 42,000 Liberian refugees and at a highly subsidize fee for non-Liberians.

Dr Abrah said MAT and the Liberian Government through the Liberian Embassy would bond the beneficiaries to undertake two to five years' national service.