The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole has inaugurated three projects at separate ceremonies at the University of Cape Coast.
The projects are the Water Bottling Plant at the South Campus, University of Cape Coast Catering Services (popularly known as 124) and Shuttle Bus Station at the North Campus.
The Chairman of the Internally Generated Fund Implementation Committee, Prof. Edward Marfo-Yiadom, said the successful completion of the project was an indication that when “We want to get it right and done well; we can do it”. He said the plant will produce both bottled and sachet water for both the University community and the general public. It will also serve as laboratory for both business and science students of the University.
Prof. Marfo-Yiadom thanked management for their support of the initiative and assured that the plant would serve the purpose for which it was established.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kuupole in his remarks commended the team that worked assiduously by putting energy and thinking together to have the project done adding that without their support it would have remained just a piece of an idea on paper.
Prof. Kuupole believed that the water production business would help the University get some of the needed funds to run its activities. “The period when as a Vice-Chancellor, you could sit down for funds to come from the government is no more” stressing that “even if it comes; it is less than 50%, so you need to generate money run so you can even affect the community”.
The Vice-Chancellor called for a paradigm shift from the way things used to be done in the past since times have changed.
“You can only achieve by loving what you do, without that you will remain at the same point for a long time to come”, he stated.
The Plant has an installed capacity of producing 2,500 bottles irrespective of size within an hour and 1,500 bags of sachet water per day.
Cutting the tape to inaugurate the University Catering Services, Prof. Kuupole urged the staff to work, as serious-minded business people would do to make the place very vibrant to attract clientele from both within and outside of the university.
He indicated that the facility boast of the needed equipment to be a very serious commercial entity to rake in some of the needed funds required to run the university.
At the Shuttle Bus Station, Prof. Kuupole commended the Student Representative Council for the initiative and called on them to come up with more of such laudable projects to help the University.
He indicated that the project was a great example of what student-management partnership could achieve. “Management’s doors are always opened to such good collaboration be it from the students, workers or business community”, he said.
