President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the commitment of his
government to expand infrastructure at University of Cape Coast (UCC) to absorb the
teeming Free Senior High School graduates’ access to university education.
“Indeed, I assure you of the commitment of my government to give the University the
required support to expand its infrastructure for the benefit of the numerous senior high
school graduates who now qualify to access university education” he said.
The President was speaking at the grand durbar climaxing the 60th anniversary
celebration of UCC.
He expressed gratitude to UCC for acknowledging the benefits of the Free Senior High
School intervention since its inception in 2017.
In that light, President Akufo-Addo indicated his readiness to fulfil his promise to support
the construction of students’ accommodation facility in the University.
Despite the harsh economic conditions currently facing the country, he observed that
government would not renege on its commitment to provide quality education and equal
opportunities for future generations to access good education.
“Regardless of the difficulties currently confronting our nation, government will continue
to intervene and remain responsible for the provision of free and quality basic and
secondary education for all”, President Akufo-Addo added, insisting: “Education is the
equalizer of opportunities”.
Whilst finding solutions to complex and far reaching problems across borders and
disciplines, the President charged the University to remain “pure and unadulterated in
the provision of quality academic and intellectual discourse”.
He expressed joy at the number of products from UCC occupying enviable positions in
the country, especially in public universities.
President Akufo-Addo, who was justly proud of UCC’s achievement at the 2023 Times
Higher Education (THE) World Universities Rankings (WUR), encouraged stakeholders
to put their shoulders to the wheel to achieve more laurels for UCC.
The President, therefore, urged traditional authorities in Cape Coast to join forces with
government to stop all encroachment on UCC lands.
UCC urged to Champion Agenda “Grow What We Eat”
The Chancellor of UCC, Dr. (Sir) Sam Esson Jonah, has charged the School of
Agriculture of the University to take the lead in providing better yielding crop varieties in
ensuring increase in crop production.
“We are entrusting this school with the responsibility of ensuring that we grow what we
eat and to a large extent eat what we grow. I expect you to establish a faculty that is
capable of forming strong partnerships, bonds and collaborations with institutions and
other relevant local bodies, pertinent to the development of our agricultural sector”, he
said.
The Chancellor underlined the need for the University to be innovative in the training of
students to ensure its products remained relevant to meet the changing global demand.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, for his part, promised to ensure
that the University chalked up many academic successes during his tenure.
To achieve that, he appealed to government to consider giving financial clearance for
the recruitment of staff for the University to reduce the workload of teaching staff.
He attributed the accomplishments of the University to all the stakeholders and founding
fathers of the University.
Early on, President Akufo-Addo commissioned the School of Graduate Studies
Complex, a six-storey Guest House for the Institute of Education, as well as the School
of Medical Sciences Administration Block.
The durbar, held at the New Examination Centre, attracted high profile personalities,
including politicians, academics, traditional authorities amongst others.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC