The Takoradi Technical University in the Western Region has said that it is saddled with utility bills so much that if the government of Ghana does not come to its aid, examinations in the school will be disrupted.
According to the chairperson of the university’s council, Dr. Henrietta Abane, the inability of the government to honour its promise of absorbing the bills, particularly the electricity bills, has brought series of disconnection threats from the utility providers.
Speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Technical University, Dr. Abane appealed to the government to honour its financial obligations to the university.
She said “government’s promise to absorb, in particular, the electricity bills of the university has not been honored; consequently, we are sometimes faced with threats of disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana during examination periods…these bills threaten academic work”.
Other challenges confronting the university, according to Dr. Abane, includes the lack of funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund [GetFund], to complete ongoing projects in the university.
She said “a number of GetFund projects have stalled, so I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to facilitate payments from the fund to ensure completion of these projects”.
Others are that, the university acquired a site at Akatakyie in the Ahanta West District. where the African Development Bank and COTVET, have developed five infrastructural projects for a TVET campus for the Faculty of Engineering.
“These projects are expected to have a counterpart funding from the government. Whilst the first stage of building infrastructure is ready, the second stage of fixing equipment has not been met because government has delayed to release its counterpart funds”.
The university at its 2nd graduation ceremony conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees on168 students, whilst 1,657 received Higher National Diplomas.
88 Civil Engineering students also received the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations, NABPTEX certificates.
In all, a total of 1,913 students graduated.
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana