The Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG) has appealed to government to convert the Bolgatanga and Wa polytechnics into technical universities if it will succeed in the full implementation of its flagship policy of ‘One-District, One-Factory’
According to the Association, a successful implementation of the One-District, One-Factory requires huge human resource with technical and innovation background hence the urgent need for the conversion.
The National President of TUAAG Mohammed Kamal-Deen Alhassan disclosed this at the 7th Annual Delegates Conference of Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana held at the Bolgatanga Polytechnic in the Upper East Region.
“Eight out of the ten polytechnics have been converted into technical universities, it would be impossible if not, collapse the remaining two polytechnics to survive. One of the vision of government is the One District One Factory and technical education is going to be the focus of this drive because it is suppose to provide the human resource for these factories.
…..And if we (government) do not convert the Bolgatanga and Wa polytechnics into technical universities then we are depriving these regions of the One District One Factory policy of government. So we (TUAAG) are appealing to government to urgently convert these two polytechnics into technical universities to explore their full potential and prospects of this noble policy.”
Mr. Alhassan also entreated government to constitute new governing councils for the various technical universities to draft and implement their conditions of service.
“These technical universities, so converted, can only strive based on our conditions of service. The technical university Act mandate the respective councils to come out with our conditions of service but we do not have these councils in place so we(TUAAG) are appealing to government to expedite action in constituting these councils so that we could have actual technical universities in place.”
The conference was on the theme: The Role of Technical University in the implementation of the One- District, One- Factory policy.
For his part, the Upper East Regional Minister Rockson Bukari assured TUAAG to government’s commitment to converting the Bolgatanga and Wa polytechnics into technical universities in due course.
Mr. Rockson said, technical universities will be assisted to refocus on technical education which produces competent manpower that underpins the success of government’s industrial revolution of the One-District, One-Factory, One-Village, One-Dam among others pro-poor policies.
He said government will also complete the process of replacing the Book and Research allowances with a Research fund to facilitate further research and innovation by lecturers.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana