The University has held a Send-Off and Long Service Awards Ceremony for 87 members of staff who retired from active service this year.
The 2019 retirees comprise 24 Senior Members, 34 Senior Staff and 29 Junior staff. Each staff was presented with certificates, household items and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, noted that the University had made impressive strides in many exciting directions. She added that the achievements were made possible through the collective efforts of students, faculty, and staff as well as major key players in the field of tertiary education in and outside the country. “Our senior colleagues whose names were mentioned today have contributed significantly, and good portions of the most productive parts of their lives have been spent in this institution,” she noted.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh assured the retirees that management would continue to appreciate and show commitment to the wellbeing of senior colleagues by strengthening and providing the required resources to the Welfare Section to enable them to reach out to more retired staff under the retiree’s outreach programme. “Since the inception of the programme, 140 of our senior colleagues including three former Registrars, Pro Vice-Chancellors and two former Vice-Chancellors have been visited in their homes at various parts of the country,” she reported. She also indicated that the Welfare Outreach programme was extended to five former Council Members for their contributions in the past years to the development of the University.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor noted that the major criteria for determining the value of the award given to retirees had been the length of service but assured that Management of the University would continue to access other avenues to improve the package to retirees. She entreated unions on campus to invest in their members and help them to plan towards retirement. She congratulated Mr. Moses Prah and Ms Agnes Arhin Buabeng for serving the University for 42 and 41 years respectively.
On behalf of the retirees, a former Senior Assistant Registrar at the Institute of Education, Mr. Prosper K. Nyatuame, thanked the University for the opportunity to serve in various capacities. He said they have had varied experiences which he described as “good, bad and ugly”. “These experiences will energise us to face the reality of life after active service”
Mr, Nyatuame advised the 2019 retirees to take good care of themselves whiles they depart from the services of the University. “Though we have retired but not retarded let us make good use of the time and contribute our quota to advance society,” he advised.
Mr. Nyatuame appealed to the University not to neglect them adding that “The University should not forget us but see us as part of the system”.
The University Pensioners Association, University Teachers Association (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Senior Staff Association (SSAUCC) and Junior Staff Association (JSAUCC) in their goodwill message commended the retirees and wished them well in their future endeavours.