Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday announced that government had voted about GHc2.3 million for infrastructural development at the University for Development Studies' Medical School.
He explained that one million cedis out of the amount would be used for the expansion of infrastructure on the University campus, while GHc900,000 and GHc380,000 go into the procurement of laboratory equipment and other development projects respectively.
Vice President Mahama announced this during the 12th Congregation of the University in Tamale.
A total of 2,141 students graduated with Doctorates of Philosophy, Masters of Science and Masters of Arts and Bachelors of Arts in Endogenous Development, Development Management, Innovation Communication, Mathematics, Applied Statistics and among other courses.
Vice President Mahama said besides the vote, the Government this year had also earmarked GHc2.5 million from the Ghana Education Fund (GETFUND) to expand infrastructural development on all campuses of the University.
Under the Fund's vote, the Vice President said a 200-capacity Auditorium complex would be constructed at the Tamale campus.
He said government had embarked on a comprehensive programme to make the University the hub of research by supporting all campuses to establish research centres.
“To empower the research centres, government through the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) will provide one thousand (1,000) computers to enhance their performance in research that will improve SADA’s activities”, he stressed.
Vice President Mahama said government would work with local industries to equip all the facilities of the University with made-in-Ghana computers to encourage the local industries.
With a current student population of 20,562, the Vice Chancellor of UDS Professor Haruna Yakubu said this academic year saw a drastic reduction of admission from 7,020 in 2010 to only 2,649.
He explained that the reduction was as a result of inadequate infrastructure and academic facilities, saying “infrastructure and academic facilities on our campuses have been overstretched to elastic limits over the years”.
Current staff strength stands at 1,427 and the Vice Chancellor said the University's human resource development agenda was on course, noting that about 147 members of staff were pursuing further studies within and outside the country.
Dr. A. B. Salifu, Chairman of the University Council, was glad that the UDS had been able to secure the release of the first installment of GHc2,000,000 out of the President’s endowment fund of GHc20,000,000 for the University.
He appealed to Vice President Mahama to assist the UDS to be able access the remaining sum to speed up infrastructural development.
Source: gna
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