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UCC VICE-CHANCELLOR DISMISSES CLAIMS OF MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS ON “SMALL CHOPS”

01 Nov, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, has described as unfortunate the misrepresentation of comments he made on reducing cost to the University by some media portals.

He noted that the quest to reduce cost to the University was not in any way an indictment on any person, group of persons or the immediate past administration of the UCC.

On the 22nd of October 2016, during his induction ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor said the University could channel more money into research if cost accrued from fuel, refreshment, stationery and printing was reduced.

Some media portals have suggested that Prof. Ampiah’s comments indicate that past management of the University of Cape Coast were misappropriating funds and sitting on rot, which is not the situation.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Prof Ampiah noted that with the exception of the misquotation of an amount of 68 million Ghana Cedis purported to have been used on stationery, the other figures reflected the actual amounts used in the running of the University considering its external responsibilities.  But he was quick to add that these expenditures were justified considering the range of services the University had to provide.

He said the University has a population of over a hundred thousand students with about 80% of them located in other parts of the country through the distance education programme with oversight responsibility over Colleges of Education in the Country. “For the College of Distance Education alone, a lot of travelling for supervision, marking and accommodation of staff is required. All these come at a cost to the University, so my vision is to digitize aspects of our work to reduce expenditure and channel these amounts into research”, he said.

Prof. Ampiah added that his comment does not in any way suggest that the immediate past administration of the University was corrupt.

“I am not indicting anyone or my predecessors because I was a part of that administration and an indictment on them is an indictment on myself”, he concluded.

He called on the University Community to support him to move the University forward.

Pray and Support New Vice-Chancellor to Succeed- Very Rev. Boateng-Annimful Urges Staff and Students

31 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Superintended Minister of the West Cape Coast Circuit of Methodist Church, Very Rev. Ebenezer Boateng-Annimful has urged students and staff of the University to pray and support the new Vice-Chancellor to succeed in his term of office.

That, he noted, would ensure the forward march of the University to achieve its vision and mission.

Very Rev. Boateng-Annimful gave the advice at the Vice-Chancellor’s Induction Thanksgiving Service for Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah at the New Examination Centre (NEC), North Campus. The non-denominational service was on theme: " Called to Serve".

The Superintended Minister of the West Cape Coast Circuit of Methodist Church emphasised the need for Christians to love, obey and serve God in all their endeavours. "Our common task as believers is to love, obey and serve God, as we serve humanity and as we serve society," he stressed.

Very Rev. Boateng-Annimful advised Christians to eschew all forms of corruption and disabuse their minds that leadership was about making money and acquiring wealth. Rather, he said, leadership was a call to serve humanity. The Very Reverend Boateng-Annimful advised students to do away with examination malpractice.  In the same vein, he entreated staff of the University not to engage in social vices that would mar the image of the University. He called on Christians to live by the tenets of Christianity and avoid selfishness and greed in their daily lives.

Quoting from John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." In this regard, the Methodist Bishop noted that if Christians had faith in God, God would restore what the devil had taken from them.

For his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, expressed profound gratitude to the Chaplaincy Board for organising the programme. Prof. Ampiah, who described himself as Orthodox Pentecostal, called for obedience and discipline among Christians.

"For the next four years, I want total discipline among Christians. I want us to obey the rules of the University". He said, while quoting from 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 to buttress his point.

He announced that during his term as Vice-Chancellor, the University would provide decent places of worship for the various denominations on campus. The Vice-Chancellor, who was accompanied by his wife and two children, implored the congregation to remember him in prayers as he leads the University for the next four years. He assured the congregation that he would put the University under Christ control.

To that end, Prof. Ampiah called for prayers, fasting and everything possible from the congregation in order to "overthrow the Kingdom of darkness and Satan that hovers over the University and bring it down and establish the true hand of God over this University for us to have progress and prosperity".

Intercessory prayers, led by the Hall Master of Kwame Nkrumah Hall, Mr. David Adukpo, were said for the Vice-Chancellor, the University Council, and the University Community.

Present at the event were the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K.T. Oduro; the Registrar, Mr. John K. Nyan; some Provosts, Deans, lecturers, students and the clergy.

SRC Launches SWAF to Support Students

31 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Students Representative Council (SRC) has launched the Students Welfare Assistance Fund (SWAF) to support needy students on campus.

With a seed capital of GH¢ 112,200, the Fund seeks to provide requisite support for students' short-term financial needs on campus.

The launch which was well-attended by scores of students was on theme "Mitigating Financial Challenges of Students, the Role of the SRC."

The Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Koawo Edjah, who launched SWAF, lauded the leadership of the SRC for instituting the Fund to support financially handicapped students on campus. Prof. Edjah, who chaired the function, noted that SWAF would operate side-by-side with the students' handbook.

Consequently, he said, students could be rusticated if they try to mislead the committee responsible for the disbursement of the Fund. Prof. Edjah, whose outfit personally donated GH¢ 18,000 to support the Fund, said prospective applicants should be honest when filling the SWAF forms.

The Dean of Students called on students to disabuse their minds that SWAF was an avenue for the SRC to embezzle money, noting that stringent measures had been put in place to safeguard the Fund. He urged public-spirited individuals and institutions to support the Fund.

For his part, the Vice-Dean of Students, Dr. Eugene Dartey, commended the SRC for the initiative. He lauded the Francis-Arthur-led administration for mooting the idea last year and the current SRC leadership for sustaining the initiative.

Dr. Dartey emphasised that, with the introduction of SWAF, students would not engage in unhealthy lifestyles as a result of their financial problems. He urged needy students to take advantage of the Fund to improve their economic wellbeing on campus.

On his part, The SRC President, Mr. Dennis Larbi Ampofo, hailed the students for their dedication to support their colleague students with the SWAF. He praised the Office of the Dean of Students Affairs for its support for the Fund.

Mr. Ampofo urged students to ignore claims that the leadership of the SRC would misappropriate the money. "As president, I'll not condone any act which will seek to undermine the credibility of this Fund, he added. He advised the students to adhere to the rules and regulations governing the Fund so as to access it with dispatch. The SRC president informed the students that SWAF forms were available at the SRC office and the Dean of Students Affairs office for students to access the Fund. He expressed gratitude to Atlantic Hall, Oguaa Hall, Kwame Nkrumah Hall, SRC Hostel, Local NUGS, SRC and the office of the Dean of Students Affairs for committing financial resources to support the Fund.

 

FUSSAG-UCC Institutes Monthly Health Walk

31 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Chairman of the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana(FUSSAG) Local Chapter of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Mr. Daniel Egyir, has announced plans to introduce monthly health walk for members of the Association to keep them healthy.

He said exercise helps in the reduction of certain medical conditions which mostly affect members due to the nature of their work such as back ache, joint pains, among others.

Mr. Egyir made the announcement when members of FUSSAG- UCC embarked on a 4 km health walk on campus. The walk, which started from the Casely-Hayford Field through some principal streets of the University and ended at the New Cape Coast Stadium, was on the theme " Walk for Health, Health is Wealth".

He urged members to embrace exercise to stay fit and healthy. The Chairman said when members patronise the health walks, they would be healthier and be more productive at work. Participants of the health walk were taken through some aerobics by the instructors of the New Cape Coast Sports Stadium Physiotherapy Centre.

The well-attended event was accompanied by a brass band.

Ghana’s Democracy is Stable but Fragile - Dr. Akwetey

28 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has described Ghana’s Democracy as “stable but fragile”.   “Ours has been stable one but events leading up to the election can determine whether the elections will be peaceful or not”.   Dr. Akwetey who was delivering a lecture at the Advancement Lecture Series at the University of Cape Coast, said Ghana after six successful elections Ghana has gained an upgrade in recognition as “Africa’s matured democracy”.   Speaking on the theme “Towards Credible 2016 Elections: The Role of Stakeholders in Ensuring Free, Fair, Transparent and Violent-Free Elections”. The Executive Director of IDEG said the country’s credential in elections was a contradiction because there was fear of violence, lack of trust in the system and the electorates do not believe in the results. That, he said could lead to the collapse of the system.   “It is not uncommon to hear some citizens saying they will not vote in the up-coming elections because they do not see improvement in their lives since there has not been any significant change voting in previous elections. But Dr. Akwetey warned that such attitudes do not help in building democracies. “Hope no one will say I’m not voting. Your civic responsibility is to vote, do not abstain because you have the chance once in every four years, if not you have to wait for another four years before you can do so”.   Dr. Akwetey described the current system of governance as a “system of exclusion” where after every election the system closes up and those in opposition were excluded from governance of the nation. “There is the need to look at the system and change the politics. It is not the executive or DCE who should control but the law”.   Touching on inequality in the system, he said about 60% of the populace were dissatisfied with public service, which meant that elected officials were not addressing their needs.   Dr. Akwetey said even though Ghana was a multiparty state, it was frightening that the system had now become a “duopoly” and called for the behaviour of the two main parties to be checked to prevent any problems in future. This phenomenon Dr. Akwetey said was creating the situation where the people do not believe in the electoral process saying “The more our system becomes transparent, the less we believe in the outcome. Our system is more transparent than many African countries, but because the people do not know what is been done to correct the wrongs in the process, the people do not want to believe in it”.   Dr. Akwetey warned that attention should not be focused on the time of election alone but rather it should be on events after the elections since that could be more dangerous. To this end, he urged Ghanaians to be interested in whatever was done at the collation centres after the counting at the polling stations.   A Legal Practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini said if disputes about elections were not dealt with early there could be troubles with the process. However, Samson Lardy Anyenini who was the lead discussant indicated that with the assurance of the judiciary to deal expeditiously with electoral disputes brought before it, he believed that, there could not be any postponement in the December elections.      

School of Graduate Studies Builds Capacity of Graduate Students and Supervisors

28 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) has held a day' s seminar on research to underscore the need for graduate students to produce quality research work after the end of their programme.   The seminar, which was organised in collaboration with the College of Humanities and legal Studies, College of Distance Education and the local Graduate Students Association of Ghana(GRASAG-UCC), was on the theme, " ENHANCING CAPACITY FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH."   Opening the seminar, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Ernest Laryea Okorley, emphasised the need for graduate researchers to take research seriously. He said the only way  the University could achieve its vision of becoming “worldwide acclaim” was for its students to produce quality research work. He said the School would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that students produce quality dissertation. Prof. Okorley urged the public to visit the School's webpage to see at firsthand the research works produced by the SGS students.   Taking his turn to address participants on the topic" Effective Supervision: Roles, Skills and Knowledge", the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, indicated that it was incumbent upon graduate researchers to produce a document that says "I am a master of this discipline". She urged the graduate researchers to plan and manage their research work, deliver the work on time and submit a thesis that was appropriate to the standard and acceptable to the department and the University. According to her, graduate supervision was a joint venture, adding that " it is a collaboration between the supervisor and the student'.   The Provost urged the students to hone their skills in enthusiasm, integrity, self-confidence, self-reflection, self-motivation and focus in order to realise their dreams.   Prof. Edu-Buandoh advised the graduate researchers to embrace knowledge base thesis and urged them to be innovative and creative.   A lecturer at the Department of English, Prof. Lawrence K. Owusu-Ansah, speaking on Academic Writing Skills and Publishing, advised the participants to take concord, tenses, voices, cohesion and coherent seriously when writing their dissertations.   Prof. Owusu- Ansah took the participants through modality and hedging, quotation, paraphrase and referencing in producing quality research work.   He noted that publishing served as evidence of research, promotion of academics, source of information for peers, among others.   He advised the students to study and implement the house style of their institution so as to produce acceptable dissertations, avoid flagship journals in the first few attempts on their own, publish with senior colleagues and avoid predatory journals and self- publication.   Presenting on the topic "Literature Review and Conceptual Framework", the Director of the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, Prof. Kofi Awusabo-Asare, said the importance of Literature Review was to justify research, provide a context for the research, highlight flaws in the research and enable the researcher to learn from the previous theory on the study. He noted that Conceptual Framework helps justify and build blocks for work that provides guide for variables in work.   For his part, Head of Department of Education Studies at the College of Distance Education, Prof. Emmanuel K. Gyimah, who  spoke on the topic, " Examining Thesis/Dissertation," stressed the need for the students to be abreast of the features of a good dissertation. According to him, thesis should be original, sound methodology, comprehensive and scholarly, rigorous and self-critical, among others.   Prof. Gyimah schooled the participants on VIVA VOCE, which, he said, was criterial for assessing students in the University. The participants had their burning questions addressed by the resource persons.  

Prof. George K. T. Oduro Receives Delegation from Denmark

27 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K.T. Oduro, has received a delegation from the Copenhagen Business Academy in Denmark.

The delegation is in the University to foster collaboration between the Copenhagen Business Academy and the Department of Environmental and Laboratory Technology.

The Director of the Centre for International Studies, Prof. Rosemond Boohen, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the Copenhagen Business Academy started collaboration with the University through the School of Business in 2013. She said the Academy later collaborated with the Department of Tourism and Hospitality to enhance further collaboration in the areas of tourism and hospitality.

Prof. Boohen briefed the Pro-Vice- Chancellor on the collaboration between the Academy and the Departments of Environmental Science, and Laboratory Technology. She announced that the Departments of Business and Tourism and Hospitality had won the Erasmus Mundus staff and Mobility award through the collaboration.

For his part, Prof. K.T Oduro, after welcoming the delegation, conveyed to the delegation the greetings of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, who was on an official assignment. He said the University was open to international collaboration.

Prof. Oduro indicated that the University was of the belief that “knowledge is like the proverbial baobab tree which no single individual can embrace”, hence there was the need for complementarity so far as knowledge, including science, was concerned.

He lauded the Centre for Education for creating linkages between the University and other international organisations.

UCCSMS and ATL FM Win Prestigious Awards

26 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Dean of School of Medical Sciences, Prof. Francis W. Ofei has presented a trophy the School won at the 6th Inter-Medical School Public Speaking Competition held in Accra to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah.

This is the fourth time UCCSMS has won the competition.

Competing institutions were the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The University of Ghana came second and third position went to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The debate was sponsored by Patricks University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, Professional Corporation Canada and Dr. Vincent Agyapong, a consultant Psychiatrist.

Mr. Patrick Armah and Ms. Fransiwa Valerie Vande-Pallen who represented the University will spend four weeks at the Patricks University Hospital in Dublin in an exchange programme in Psychiatry as part of their prize for winning the debate.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ghartey Ampiah said he was elated to “see that in the world of competition UCC has been able to hold its own”. He commended the dean, lecturers and students for their performance and asked them not to rest on their oars so that each time they go for the debate they will emerge winners.

Prof. Ghartey said the award meant that they were doing well that is why they are able to win laurels each time they participate in the competition. He advised the students who will embark on the exchange programme in Dublin to share whatever experience they acquire while there with their colleagues on their return saying “Times have changed. Previously, we kept knowledge, we did not share it. Now we do not keep it we share it.”

 At the same ceremony the Station Manager of ATL FM, Kwabena Antwi-Konadu presented a trophy presented to the station by the Business Initiative Direction Company in France.  The station was nominated for the Gold Category of the World Commitment Award, which had 179 countries participating. Award winners are selected from various backgrounds after rigorous checks and scrutiny on their activities and performances.

The Vice-Chancellor congratulated the management and staff of the radio station on winning award. He intimated that getting nominated and subsequently being awarded, illustrated that the station was working very hard and especially having a huge presence on the Internet. He urged the Radio Station to continue with their hard work and professionalism and also try as much as possible to break new grounds always.

Also, the winner of the Radio and Television Personality award for the Central Region, Mrs. Ama Bawa of ATL FM, presented the award she won over the weekend to the Vice-Chancellor.  The Vice-Chancellor congratulated her on winning the award and said it has not just brought honour to her and the Radio Station but to the entire University.  He urged her to train others to come up so that they could also compete for the award in future.

 

 

Delegation from HFC Calls on Vice-Chancellor

26 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

The Managing Director of the HFC Bank, Mr. Robert Le Hunte has called on Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah to congratulate him on his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

The visit was also to explore ways of deepening the existing relationship between the bank and the University. HFC Bank is the largest bank with Diaspora investment in the continent with equity worth more than $1.5bn.

It is for this reason that, the managing director indicated that, the bank was ready to partner the University to develop infrastructure for both staff and students. He said HFC was interested in providing financial support for projects on campus especially those that fall within the vision Vice-Chancellor. “It is important for us to help any educational institution to grow so they can develop the human resource of the country”.

Mr. Le Hunte said the doors of the bank were wide open to the University to support any projects on campus.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ghartey Ampiah asked the bank to come up with a proposal on what they have on offer for the University to see the way forward. “We can collaborate in many other areas but you have to tell us what you can offer first’.

On the banks desire to go into the provision of hostels, Prof. Ampiah said the two institutions could explore the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) idea to make it a win-win situation for all. In a response to the bank’s request for space to operate on campus, Prof. Ampiah said the University would look at its enclave for banks to determine how best it could be of help in that direction.

Present at the meeting were the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro; Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan and Director of Finance, Mrs. Elizabeth Obese.

Valco Hall, Adehye Hall Win Inter-Hall Athletics Competition

26 Oct, 2016 By louis Mensah

Valco Hall and Adehye Hall have won the 2016/17 Inter-Hall Athletics Competition in the Men and Women Divisions respectively.

The competition, organised by the Sports Section, saw teeming supporters of the various halls cheer their athletes up at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

After the two-day event, Valco hall, bagged 6 Gold, 4 Silver and 10 Bronze, in the Men Division whilst Oguaa hall had 6 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze to place second. Casely-Hayford hall had 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 3 Bronze to secure the third position. Kwame Nkrumah hall(KNH) amassed 1 Gold, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze to take the fourth position, with Atlantic hall placing fifth with 1 Gold and 4 Silver.

In the Women Division, Adehye Hall carried the day with 7 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze. Oguaa Hall placed second with 5 Gold, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze, whilst KNH had 1 Gold, 6 Silver and 1 Bronze. Valco hall received 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 6 Bronzes to place fourth. GRASAG secured 1 Gold, while Atlantic Hall placed sixth with 2 Bronze.

Frank Ennin, from Valco hall, was adjudged the best athlete in the Men Division, placing first in 110 metres Hurdles, High Jump(Record) and third in 400 metres Hurdles.

In the Women Division, Janet Mensah, from Adehye hall, was adjudged the Best Female Athlete, placing first in 200 metres (Record), 100 metres, Long Jump, 4 x 100 metres and second in 4 x 400 metres. Also, Patricia Dufie, from Adehye hall, was also crowned the Best Female Athlete, securing first in High Jump (Record), first 100 metres Hurdles, 400 metres Hurdles, 4 x 100 metres and second in the 4 x 400 metres.

The Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Joseph K.  Mintah, congratulated the athletes on their exceptional performances. He urged them to train very hard ahead of the Mini- GUSA games.

The Chairman of the Sports Recreation Committee, Dr. Charles Domfeh, lauded the performances and the exhibition of good sportsmanship of the athletes. Dr. Domfeh noted that the competition witnessed 16 records, with men securing nine records and women seven records. He thanked the Directorate of Finance for instituting cash award for the Best Women Athletes.

 

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