The University of Cape Coast has held a thanksgiving service as part of the 49th Congregation, which saw four thousand nine hundred and ninety-one (4,991) students graduate from the University.

These are students from the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences and the College of Education.

 The thanksgiving service, held under the auspices of the Chaplaincy Board of the University, was on the theme:"It is the Lord's Doing".

In his homily, the Parish Priest of the Sunyani Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Gyamfi, called on the graduates to always be hopeful in all their endeavours, stressing that “Hope is a Christian hallmark". He underscored the need to maintain peace and harmony amongst Ghanaians, especially in the wake of campaigning towards the general election in December this year. He advised the graduates not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to disturb the peace the nation was enjoying.

Most Rev Gyamfi used the occassion to advice students who were still studying in the University to take their studies seriously in order to climb the academic ladder. The Parish Priest urged the graduates to always thank the Lord for the unique talents the Lord had bestowed on them.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof D. D. Kuupole, who spoke at the service told the graduates to remain focused in life and should not allow anybody to derail them. "If you have a focus; remain focused; don’t let anybody derail you," he said. “Tell yourself you have an ambition; and tell yourself that somebody is guiding you and not a human being, but a divine spirit is guiding you." He challenged them to always be guarded by the core values of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor underlined the need for the graduates to embrace the principles of honesty, humility, trust, courage, commitment and compassion as they venture into the job market. He commended staff, students and members of the surrounding communities of the University for their unalloyed support for him during his term as vice-chancellor. he announced that the University Council had granted him a one-year post service leave and after the completion of his leave, he would be back to the University to "assist in post graduate training, mentorship of young faculties, some editorial works, leading a team to negotiate for something for the University or any other work Council may decide to give me or any assignment my Vice-Chancellor will assign me".

The Vice-Chancellor stressed the need for the graduates to use "thank you and sorry" words as their guiding principles.

Intercessory prayers, led by Mr. David Cudjoe Adukpo, the Hall Master of the Kwame Nkrumah Hall, were said for the graduates, the University Community and Ghana. Present at the event, held at the Congregational grounds, were Mr. John Kofi Nyan; the Registrar, Prof John Nelson Buah; a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Major Kofi Baah-Bentum; Director of Public Affairs and other top University officials.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Domwini Dabire Kuupole, has admonished alumni of the University to be the ‘eastern star’ and lead developing partners to the University to bring opportunities to both students, staff and the university at large.   This was carried in an address read on his behalf by Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, Dean, Faculty of Educational Foundations, and Vice President of the UCC Alumni Association on the theme “UCC Today and Years Ahead; The Role of the Alumni” at a Get-Together organized by the 1985 Year Group of the University of Cape Coast Alumni Association in Accra on Saturday, 24th September, 2016. He encouraged Alumni to pay regular visits to the university campus as well as to the university’s website to acquaint themselves with happenings in the university, and also contribute positively towards the growth of their Alma Mater. He praised the 1985 year group for the formation of the first year group Alumni christened ‘Planet 85”.   Prof. Kuupole also used the opportunity to brief members on some major developments in the University.   The Chairman for the occasion, Nana Osim Kwatia II, Gyasihene of Akwapim Traditional area and Chief of Amanokrom who is a member of the group, was full of praise for the leadership and organisers, and reiterated the fact that such a group can do more for their alma mater. He cited examples of members contributing to establish projects for their schools and also to help each other.   The following members who played pivotal roles in forming the group were honoured; Madam Elizabeth Naana Sagoe (Popularly called Queenmother), Mr. Kofi Grant and Mr. Mike Ayensu.   Present at the ceremony were Dr. Gyabaah, former President of the Greater Accra Branch of the UCC Alumni Association, Mr. Charles Aheto-Tsega, former Director-General, Ghana Education Service, and a member of Planet 85, Nana Kusi-Appiah, President, UCC Alumni Association and Mr. Robert Asare-Amissah, Ag. Secretary, UCC Alumni Association.  

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole has called on banks in the country to provide flexible start-up capital for people who venture into aqua culture business to help alleviate poverty and also augment the protein needs of the country.

The Vice-Chancellor made this remark when he closed a five-day course designed to train people in the production of tilapia and aquaculture business at the Ainoo-Ansah Farms at Okyereko near Winneba in the Central Region.

The project is a Public Private Partnership between the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (DFAS) of the College Agriculture and Natural Sciences of the University of Cape Coast and Ainoo-Ansah Farms. The project is being funded by the Council for Technical Training and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET).

The fishing industry in Ghana is not able to meet the huge demand for fish in the country and statistics indicates for example that the amount of fish landed in 2012 was less than half of the country’s fish demand for that year. The partnership is therefore, aimed at helping to train Ghanaians in Fish Farming to produce enough fish for local consumption and export.

The Ainoo-Ansah Farms has a large field of aquaculture facilities for the breeding of fish from the scratch. That is, from the egg or larvae state through maturity stage for both tilapia and other species of fish stock. They are also into piggery employing an innovation that reduces the usual pungent odour that emanates from the typical traditional pigsty. The farm currently has 150 pigs. 

The five-day training programme was aimed at providing training to persons who want to start or venture into the production of fish and also for those already in the aqua culture business. The series of training programme which began in August has drawn participants from academia, financial institutions as well as prominent individuals in the Ghanaian society and also from other countries in West Africa namely Liberia, Gambia and Nigeria.

The proprietor of the farm, Mr. Jacob Ainoo-Ansah in a remark was grateful to the University for partnering them to train and build the capacity of persons who have expressed the desire  to enter into the aqua culture business in the country. “We decided to start the fish farming business since we had a vision to add some value to fish farming. We did not want to do it for ourselves alone but to bring in others so we can impact the society positively”, Mr. Ainoo-Ansah stated.

“As we started developing this farm some people thought it was crazy to do such a thing in this remote corner or bush. But we knew what our deficiencies were and worked towards turning them into opportunities”, he declared.

The Head of Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Dr. Noble Asare underscored the fact that, fish farming could be done through partnership and therefore urged participants of the workshop to also consider coming together to start their fish farming business. He stated that it was for that reason that the DFAS and the University had partnered Ainoo Farms  to share  best practices and research on fish farming so as to benefit the entire society. He said food security was important in the development of any country, adding that the natural source of producing fish has been dissipated therefore the solution was to resort to aqua culture.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole said he was particularly happy that eventually there has been a practical collaboration with the private sector that has begun to show positive results. “What we do at the department is purely different from what is done on the field and therefore I pray that this business grows so that with time it can even offer Ph.D programmes”.

“Universities are today told to be entrepreneurial, so those who choose not to have these skills will be left out”, he noted.

The Vice-Chancellor was convinced that one day the collaboration will grow to become one of the applied sciences at the University. He indicated that currently the former ways of getting fish on the dining table was no more effective.  “We know that our fishermen are catching nothing, we are therefore left with nothing but to farm fish. I am very much hopeful that you will be getting us the fish we need on our dining tables henceforth”, he implored the participants”.

Prof. Kuupole told the participants that their training would go a long way to alleviate poverty and also augment the protein needs of the society. He urged the Department to ensure that the collaboration grew and not relent in their efforts since they were in the right direction.

The Vice-Chancellor later presented certificates to the participants. With the Vice-Chancellor were the Provost, College of Distance Education, Prof. Isaac Galyuon;Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Prof. Johnson Boampong and the Project Director of  the Centre for Coastal Managementof the School of Biological Sciences and Coordinator of the Aquaculture Project, Dr. Dennis Aheto.

“Africa cannot grow until it deals with corrupt leaders and corruption. Corruption is one of the things that have held Africa back”.

A distinguished Kenyan Professor of Public Law, Prof. P. L. O. said this when he delivered the second of the three-day 11th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture at the University. Prof. Lumumba said the first thing African leaders do on assumption of political power is primitive accumulation of wealth so much so that they do not even know where such property and wealth are.

Speaking on the topic Economic Re-orientation, the Kenyan firebrand said he was sharing his agonies about Africa and indicated the continent was now enjoying flag independence, because if one follows the debate the question that comes to mind is whether Africa was truly independent? Kwame Nkrumah early in his stay in the United States realised that Africans were as equal to all people and have inalienable rights as well. Therefore, he conceived the idea that Africa must be liberated.

According to Prof. Lumumba, in the mind of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, colonization was an aberration to the human race. But he said, “Nkrumah was not alone on this plane, there were others who also thought there was the urgent need to for independence from the clutches of the colonisers”.

It must be pointed out that these leaders thought that the quest and struggle for independence was not for political freedom only but economic as well. Having attained political independence there came the question whether Africa could harness the numerous resources available?

Prof. Lumumba was of the view that when Nkrumah returned home, he realised that there were a lot that could be done to add value to the abundant resources on the continent to rake in the needed income for development. He said for example, Kwame Nkrumah talked about the possible value addition to the rubber in Liberia for Firestone and other tyre manufacturing companies abroad.

This, the Legal luminary, observed was an indication that Kwame Nkrumah did not restrict himself to Ghana alone but to the entire continent. He said, “That all these resources could be harnessed then Africa could develop. It was as if the gods have conspired that minerals and resources could be found in the belly of Africa”.

Prof. Lumumba opined that Africa could be liberated economically if there was one united market, one currency that could be effective everywhere. “If we do not create that common market, we will always be subjected to our former colonizers”. He said he was not against globalization per se, but he was against the perception of globalisation, which says Africa must be subdued.

He was not happy about the existence of 8 economic blocs that were expected to see Africa rise, but were not ensuring that, that happens. “Even goods that should take 8 hours to be transported take more than 24h hours”.

He indicated that for Africa to really rise was one of the key things that must be done is to eliminate corruption, improve upon science and technology and given the pride of place. There is also the need for Africa to liberate itself from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and Aid.