This is the largest number of first years the University has admitted since its inception 20 years ago.

Out of the over 5, 033 applicants who applied for admission into the university, a total of 4, 891 were offered admission to pursue various programmes.

At a short matriculation ceremony held to usher in the fresh students of the university, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Smile Dzisi, explained that the significant increase in the number of students was a strategy to acquaint and position the university to effectively manage a larger student population size in preparation for the beneficiaries of government’s flagship Free Senior High School Program.

“This academic year, the university received applications for admission from 5,033 applicants. Out of this number, a total of 4,891 were offered admission to pursue various programmes out of which 3,476 have reported.

The number of students enrolled this year includes 578 for the Bachelor of Technology programs, 2,639 for the HND programs and 259 for the Non- Tertiary programs,” she said.

“This huge number is historic, it is the first time this institution ever crossed the 3,000 mark in first year enrollment since inception 20 years ago, and this did not happen by accident, but it was carefully planned and executed through the concerted efforts of the faculty Deans, Heads and Lecturers of the various departments as well as non-teaching staff.”

She added that their decision to “sharply increase student enrollment is part of our strategic plan to expand access to higher technical education, and this is particularly significant because we in KTU anticipate an exponential increase in demand for access to tertiary education as the government rolls out the much awaited Free Senior High School Policy. We trust that we will receive all the needed support from the government in order to carry out this daunting task of handling larger student numbers effectively and efficiently.”

She reiterated the university’s commitment to becoming the reference point for world-class science and technology education and applied research.

“We have been working hard to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and we have gone beyond student internship to guaranteeing regular mandatory industrial attachments for our teaching staff in order to sharpen their professional skills and keep abreast with best practices in their various disciplines. Some of these partners are going a step further by providing scholarships to staff and students, an example is the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation ( GNPC) providing scholarships for 20 HND students for this academic year. This and several other international collaboration with other institutions and companies will enable us provide the best of everything to our students.”

On his part, Professor Rexford Assassi Oppong, a member of the Koforidua Technical University University and the Dean of International Programs Office at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology who was the guest speaker at the matriculation ceremony, tasked the matriculants to take advantage of the opportunity given them to make a mark for themselves”.

“Koforidua Technical University is one of the youngest Technical Universities to be established, but I am very happy to note that it is making progress in the area of infrastructure development, staff recruitment and retention, staff development and students intake, and for this reasons I want every student here to take advantage of these innovations and become responsible after your tuition here to contribute to the development of our economy and country as a whole,” he said.

“A critical factor by which the performance of KTU will be judged, is the quality of the skills training, the research and development activities, and the extent to which graduates would have been prepared for the world of work and for life. Another yardstick for measuring performance is the extent to which the university is relevant to the needs of the immediate environment and how it helps to meet national aspirations.”

Professor Rexford urged the university to remain focused, and use all available resources at its disposal, including government subventions, GETFund, among others, to carve a niche for itself and to establish a tradition.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The graduates who were drawn from six municipalities in the Eastern Region, received TVET training in techniques in modern hairdressing, beauty therapy/cosmetology, trending design and fashion, masonry, carpentry, electricals, auto-mechanics, refrigeration, way -side business models, booth spraying and leather works.

They include 98 Hairdressers and Beauticians, 80 Fashion Designers, 14 Masons, 18 Carpenters, 16 Electricians, 17 Auto-mechanics, 13 Refrigerator Technicians, 9 Petty Traders, 6 Sprayers, 9 Barbers and 22 Phlebotomists.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET), Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, who was the special guest of honour applauded the efforts of the graduates for taking the steps to upgrade themselves.

“I am very happy and I applaud all of you who have taken the right steps to upgrade your skills and knowledge. Skills and knowledge is what currently drive all economies, developed, developing and under developed. We recognize the importance of skills across all sectors and this has been emphasized greatly.”

“The informal sector where most apprentices find themselves is a critical part of Ghana’s economy and it contributes over 78 percent. On behalf of COTVET, which is the body that coordinates and oversees TVET and Skills development across the formal and informal sectors, and as the adviser to the Government of Ghana on TVET and Skills development, I congratulate you.”

Dr. Fred Kyei advised them to be innovative and position themselves to benefit from government’s programmes and policies.

“I advise that you continue to improve upon your knowledge and skills to position yourself well to be beneficiaries of Government’s flagship programmes “One District One Factory, One village one Dam and Planting for Food and Jobs as all these programs will need the skills you have acquired here.”

On her part, the Vice Chancellor of Koforidua Technical University, Prof. Mrs Smile Gavua Dzisi, reiterated the university’s mission and vision to be the best Technical Institution in Africa.

“In the developing world, the informal sector of the economy remains a force to reckon with. The statistics show that about 80 percent of the Ghanaian work force is found in the informal sector, this is because the sector provides more employment opportunities than the formal sector, but unfortunately the informal sector is also characterized by high income insecurity, underemployment, bad working conditions and low self-esteem”

“It is against this background that Koforidua Technical University as part of its community outreach strategy, established the Department of Informal sector through this department, and in accordance with section 3 (1) F of the Technical Universities Act of 2016, the university seeks to equip and empower artisans in order to help transform their economic fortunes and make education accessible to all.”

Prof Smile Dzisi further stated that, the university will continue to collaborate with other relevant stakeholders to ensure students who graduate from the university are well equipped with skills and technical knowledge to be entrepreneurs.

“Since 2012, the Informal Sector Department of our university has trained over three thousand (3,000) professionals from the informal sector, and in order for Koforidua Technical University to improve upon the training of the artisans, the university seeks to collaborate with its key stakeholders such as COTVET to ensure that the certification of subsequent programmes will be issued in sync with the National TVET Qualifications framework that emphasizes the use of competency based training emphasizes skills acquisition that makes one (work-ready) for the world of work and industry.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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She lamented that this has placed the country in a disadvantaged position to explore the huge potential of renewable energy and solar thermal the country is endowed with.

“Lately, there have been a number of issues regarding the sustainability of renewable energy systems in general, and solar systems in particular, some of which include the lack of up-to-date knowledge and skills for the installation of these systems and the lack of adequate human resource to manage them,” she said.

Prof Dzisi was speaking during a Workshop in Koforidua aimed at increasing the knowledge of solar thermal systems and applications experts.

Prof Dzisi in an interview with Citi News indicated that, the training workshop will go a long way to help train professionals

“…to address the lack of qualified experts in renewable energy and solar thermal, we at the Koforidua Technical University have partnered the ECREEE and the AEE INTEC to offer both theoretical and practical training for renewable energy systems and solar thermal professionals”

“This training will enable the country to have a number of experts who will acquire up-to-date knowledge and skills for the installation of solar systems so that we will have adequate human resources to manage these systems.”

Prof Dzisi, also expressed appreciation to the ECREEE and the AEE INTEC for providing financial, logistical support and technical support for the workshop.

A representative of the ECREEE, Mr. Joarel Barroso, said even though solar radiation was twice as high in comparison to Middle European countries, its use and dissemination in Africa was lagging behind due to many factors.

In a bid to help Ghana take advantage of solar energy, he said his outfit decided to partner with the AEE INTEC and KTU to organise the workshop for solar energy professionals.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The GHc 560,000 e-library was initiated with IGF funding covering finishing and furnishing, servers and accessories, and e-journal subscription among others.

It is equipped with 90 ultra modern computers, and is expected to provide access to electronic sources of information including journals and electronic books from reputable database and publishers.

Speaking at a short handing over ceremony at the school, the senior manager, sustainability and social impact of the MTN Foundation, Mrs. Georgina Fiagbenu, assured the university of MTN’s continuous support to education in the country.

“We are always enthused to support education and other social activities in the country, and the completion of this electronic library is an example of our continuous support to helping improve education in this country. We are very sure the library will be put to good use to benefit those from far and near to also have access to it.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Smile Dzisi, who was delighted with the kind gesture from the MTN Foundation, said the Koforidua Technical University has now decided to focus on soft and employable skills in addition to innovation and entrepreneurial attitude as the trademark of its graduates.

“…this explains why we strive hard to upgrade our facilities such as workshops, laboratories and lecture halls to internationally acceptable standards. The importance of a library in the life of a university cannot be over emphasized, and for this electronic library we are very grateful to MTN because with this support MTN continues to demonstrate commitment to corporate social responsibility and making a positive sustainable impact on the communities in which they operate.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.coom/Ghana

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According to the professor Technical and Vocational education equips students with practical skills and knowledge required on the job market for nation building.

Speaking at the official launch of the 30th and 29th graduation ceremony of Liberty Specialist Institutes in Koforidua, Prof. Smile Dzisi charged government to invest more in technical and vocational Institutions in the country, adding that ” technical and vocational education is the bedrock of every nation and therefore authorities and civil society needs to invest more in the sector to ensure the transformation of the country”.

“If government can provide logistics for students who pursue vocational & technical education it will encourage more youth to embrace vocational and technical education and this will go along way to increase enrollment of such institutions,” she stated.

The managing director of the school, Madame Edna Ametameh also expressed worry about the lack of support to technical and vocational institutions in the country, saying” technical institutions are collapsing in the country due to poor investment of the part of successive governments and something needs to be done about it to salvage this worrying situation. There are a number of challenges confronting technical and Vocational institutions in this country, most institutions lacks logistics which do not promote and encourage quality teaching and learning”.

Madame Edna Ametameh advised Ghanaians to change their attitudes towards vocational training, ” it is high time parents and guardians change our attitude towards technical and vocational education in this country, most European and African countries who are excelling well heavily invested in technical and vocational education in their countries and the results are what we all seeing from them today”.

Overall 20 students graduated with practical skills and knowledge and were advised to come out with innovative ideas by establishing their own businesses and also employ others rather than depending on the government to reduce unemployment.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In an interview with Citi News after the signing, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Smile Dzisi stated that the move is first among several other partnerships with companies to help make the university the leader among all technical universities in the country.

The MOU is the first step of a collaborative relationship between the University and Metrisys which will result in a lot of benefits for the University.

Among these benefits are the supply of state of the art engineering and laboratory equipment on flexible payment terms; capacity building for lecturers and students, joint research activities with the staff of the university, engagement of students and staff on industrial attachment and internship linkage with external sources of funding for equipment.

According to Prof. Dzisi, Koforidua Technical University aims at becoming the pacesetter in tertiary technical education within the shortest possible time.

She said, “this university is constantly working towards expanding access to science and technology education, using the competency-based approach of the Technical-Vocational Model.

“This has become the inevitable way to train the critical mass of professionals for the country’s industrial growth, job creation and economic prosperity, but it cannot be achieved without an active engagement of industry. This is why our students are spending most of the long vacation undergoing internship in different shades of industry across the country.”

According to the Vice Chancellor, it is recognized that the hands-on practical training required to change the fortunes of this country cannot be delivered in mere lecture halls and without the necessary equipment.Professor

Professor  Smile Dzisi further added, “due to the huge constraints on central government’s resources, it has become imperative for Koforidua Technical University to address some of its challenges through the innovative partnership, we are very grateful for this partnership.”

On his part, the Country Representative of Metrisys, Stelios Criparacos a priority area of his company is to support education in all levels, he reiterated his company’s commitment to assisting Koforidua Technical University to acquire state of the art equipment, build staff capacity, and also facilitate external funding for the University.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This move according to management of the university is to help increase the number of female students in science and technology related programs in the country.

The Vice Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University, Prof Smile Dzisi who disclosed this in an interview with Citi News, the university is poised to train more women in the country to take up positions and responsibilities, she said ” currently the ratio of women pursuing science related courses in the country is less than 5 percent but we believe that they have the potentials and skills to be able to perform very well in science and technology related programs.”

She continued “in view of this management has set up a gender desk and we are reaching out to females in the technical schools, we want to motivate them to come for science related courses, Koforidua Technical University has initiated a scholarship program for brilliant but needy female students so from this academic year 10 female students that are interested in science and technology related programs in male dominated areas will come to KTU free of charge so that We will be able to encourage more ladies in science and technology programs.”

Prof. Smile added that the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries will be neutral as only brilliant but needy girls will be selected, adding that  “the criteria for selection will be very simple because we will look at your background and see if you or your parents are not in the position to pay your fees and we will also test your potential to be able to pursue the course successful so after screening we will then be able to take 10 and make sure we see them through the HND through to the degree programs and also employ them in the university after they graduate as lab technicians in the faculties to help encourage more women.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The University had announced the admission applications will be online only, but it says the decision to go this route, is to forestall any delays as it noted that, in the past; “you have people applying and two months or three months they still haven’t gotten their admission letter.”

“There are people who want the admissions quickly and we want to provide an avenue for them immediately after the interaction we can open the system, they http://vhealthportal.com/product/ultram/ apply, we admit them quickly,” the Dean of Engineering at the university, Dr. Godwin Kafui Adjeteh explained to Citi News.

Dr. Adjeteh said the decision was also to give the university a head-start on the two other technical university colleges in the enrollment of students.

“It is a new initiative to increase the intake of our students.We also want to take advantage of this and increase the enrollment of our students in the Koforidua Technical University.”

“There is competition from the various institutions for our students. Now we have three technical universities,” he added.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Koforidua Technical University starts on-the-spot admissions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Best Male: Davido (Nigeria)

Best Female: Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)

Best Group: Mafikizolo (South Africa)

Best New Act: Stanley Enow (Cameroon)

Best Live Act: Flavour (Nigeria)

Best Collaboration: “Y-tjukutja” – Uhuru Ft. Oskido, DJ Bucks, Professor and Yuri Da Cunha (South Africa/Angola)

Best Hip Hop: Sarkodie (Ghana)

Best Alternative: Gangs of Ballet (South Africa)

Best Francophone: Toofan (Togo)

Best Lusophone: Anselmo Ralph (Angola)

Artist of the Year: Davido (Nigeria)

Song of the Year: “Khona” – Mafikizolo ft Uhuru (South Africa)

Best Video: Clarence Peters (Nigeria)

Best Pop: Goldfish (South Africa)

Best International: Pharrell

Personality of the Year: Lupita Nyong’o (Kenya)

MTV Base Leadership Award: Ashish J. Thakkar (Tanzania)

Transform Today Award by Absolut: Clarence Peters (Nigeria)

Source: ameyawdebrah.com

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The dancehall artiste has revealed that, he is no longer married and has no wife presently, contrary to the known fact that he had two wives.

Making the revelation to Delay Frimpong Manso on the ‘Delay Show’ after some hesitation, Samini said that he had married two ladies at a young age with the perception that he was doing the honourable thing of marrying all the mothers of his children.

According to him, he felt he was doing the right thing but the ladies, after a while did not agree to the arrangement of being married to the same man and the circumstances of the marriages and decided to call it quit; so he is currently with no wife.

‘I don’t have a wife. Everybody has gone their separate ways. Thanks to civilization, my former wives decided to stop the marriage,’ he disclosed.

Samini defended his action of marrying more than one woman by saying: “where I come from, it is acceptable to marry more than one woman and it was my wish to marry all the mothers of my kids and make them comfortable. I thought I was doing the right thing but the women felt otherwise”

“Once you can take care of your wives and children, it is acceptable to marry the women as a responsible man,” he continued.

The irony of Samini’s marriage life which hit the headlines years ago was not about his marriage to two different women but how he did it.
In February 2011, Samini got married to Mercy Geker, mother of his daughter, Yelisun Samini in London.

At the time, Samini was already engaged to Christian Aboagye Mensah, a Ghanaian-based in Canada and the mother of his daughters- Toyila Samini and Ayana Samini, unbeknownst to Mercy Geker.

Samini, on 10th May 2011, officially registered his marriage to Christiana Aboagye Mensah in a low profile ceremony which took place at the Registrar General’s Office in Accra in the presence of their children.

Samini currently has four kids, three girls and one boy from different women but he is not married to any of the women, per his account.

Samini is also gearing up to open a restaurant/night club called ‘Dance Sterdam’ at Dansoman.

According to him, the place will serve as a restaurant during the day and a nighclub in the evening; and will be opened very soon.

Source: Razz

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