The Minister, who said this in an interview with Peace FM’s Kwame Sefa Kayi indicated that the University under the previous government, entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students’ hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students at the Legon campus.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ojLoSOWDNBQwesDvORSTVPGTBTcf3RDX”]He explained that under the agreement, the University of Ghana is expected to pay a total amount of 10 million dollars to Africa Integras every year for a period of 25 years.

The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

Mr. Prempeh however indicated that the school had in recent times defaulted in the payment – a situation he believes could lead to the school’s assets being seized.

“University of Ghana might be put up for sale because it entered into an agreement and the school is unable to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract. Under this contract, Legon is expected to pay 10 million dollars every year for 25 years. If Legon is unable to settle this loan, its assets will be seized,” said the Minister.

The Minister also clarified that the agreement was not signed under the current government, adding that the school failed to hold consultations with the government at the time before sealing the deal.

“They went for a $64 million loan for the construction of some hostel beds for undergraduate and post graduate students and they failed to inform government about this loan. They did not tell government anything” he claimed.

UTAG defends UG’s move

Also speaking on Point Blank, the Local President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Henry Agbanu, disagreed with the Minister’s position, explaining that once the school was not receiving financial support from government, it had no option than resort to loan agreements from external sources.

“We know that because of the infrastructure challenges facing the University, and the University has been struggling to find ways to solve problem. Remember that the University is a public institution which should be funded by government but over the years government funding to the universities have dwindled.”

“So far, all that government does is to pay emoluments of workers. No capital investment; no administrative cost, nothing; and so universities are left to struggle and cope with the problems they have. At a point at the University of Ghana, there were about six, seven students in a room and it was an eyesore when you came to the campus and you went to the students’ room, you will never want your child to be educated in such an environment so the University in its wisdom thought it will be necessary to build hostels for students to occupy.”

Mr. Agbanu further indicated that the school is holding talks with key stakeholders to find viable means of meeting requirements for the agreement. He therefore slammed the Education Minister, saying it was inappropriate for him to take up a matter that is being discussed behind closed-doors to the media.

In his view, the Minister appears to be interested in scoring political points with a rather sensitive issue.

Prof. Aryeetey denies fraud claims in $64m UG deal

In 2017, this same agreement came up for discussion after the former Vice Chancellor of UG, Prof Aryeetey, was accused of failing to do due diligence when the deal was signed under his tenure.

He however rubbished these claims, explaining that UG had gone through all the right procedures before signing the agreement with the company.

Professor Aryeetey insisted the processes leading up to the signing of the agreement with Integras were transparent, with all relevant stakeholders being kept informed of all developments.

“There is no scandal at all in relation to the $64.4 million contract. Africa Integras signed an agreement that they were supposed to spend that money. As far as I know, by the time the project stopped, they had spent about $28 million. How does a phony company come and spend $28 million? You can see the buildings coming up and yet it has been written that I have signed an agreement with a phony company. We haven’t spent any money ourselves, it’s the ‘phony’ company that’s spending the money; how does a phony company put up buildings?,” Professor Aryeetey asked.

He also dismissed assertions that that he had received financial inducements to allow the project to proceed.

“I can assure the public that nothing untoward took place. The processes that were followed were very transparent. It’s being suggested that there was something corrupt, but there’s no such thing. I was never offered any money by any of the persons we dealt with. I have never asked for anything nor have I taken money from anybody in relation to this or any other project. Any suggestions of wrongdoing will be completely misplaced.”

The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The members, numbering about 50 carried placards with various inscriptions demanding immediate postings.

The members say various attempts to get government’s attention to address their concerns have been unfruitful.

After going through some principal streets in the capital Accra, they gathered at the Arts Centre to present their petition to the Minister of Education at the Arts Center.

Speaking to Citi News, one of the demonatrators, Steven Ofosu Powas said “we can’t be sitting down unemployed, we must be employed now.”

“We can’t sit idle and see politicians parade the classroom with all manner of untrained persons in the name of YEA voluntary volunteers to go and pollute the minds of the future leaders of this country. That is unacceptable. We must stand up and resist this wicked behavior of the politicians,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Education Barbara Ayisi who received the petition said her ministry will dialogue with the leaders of the group to ensure that they are posted.

“We represent your best interest. We are the ministry working assiduously so that our young people could be employed. So we don’t also sleep. We are concerned about the situation but you need to have some patience. I will communicate it with the minister; everything is going to be fine.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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He therefore urged students in the various campuses of the school to remain calm as the government works to address the problem.

Prof Yankah also told new and continuing students of the University “to stay hopeful that there is not as much cause for alarm as they originally thought”.

[contextly_sidebar id=”X6c67qC58g5UllEueOLwkZLxcHTwpjjv”]He said he is very hopeful the Council will take the right decisions for calm to prevail for both administrators and students.

The Minister was briefing journalists today [Tuesday], after a higher level meeting with the University’s authorities, and the UEW chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).

The meeting, which lasted for over two hours, was a government initiative aimed at calming fears in the university over administrative and academic issues, as a court case between a private citizen, Supi Kofi Kwayera and the institution continues.

Prof. Yankah expressed government’s concern about the impasse which resulted from the absence of a governing council for the University, and has indicated the readiness of the government to expedite the reconstitution of a new council in the coming days to ensure stability in the University.

He noted that “there is the need for various Councils of the University which in the past several months have not been constituted to be constituted as soon as possible so that they bring all issues in perspective and then decide on what should happen”.

On what the soon to be constituted council would have to do in the immediate term, the Minister suggested that “they can decide to ratify or not to ratify some of the decisions taken by the previous council”.

He has also suggested that the incoming council could opt for an out-of-court settlement of the case currently pending in court, urging “the national interest and the interest of the students should be paramount”.

Many incoming, continuing and some past students of the University have been worried over what could happen to their various degree and diploma certificates issued from 2013 to date as the controversies over the lack of a governing Council continues.

However, the Minister of State has sought to calm them, saying, “Those who were expecting that the degree and diploma they have obtained will be nullified, let’s leave that to the Council.”

He added that, “whatever decision the new council comes out with, I am very optimistic that it will be in the interest of stability of education in the country”.

Prof Kwesi Yankah has again appealed to members of UTAG in the University to rescind their resolve to stay out of the lecture halls till the entire court case is over.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The project, which is being supported by the GETFund, she said, had a four -Storey Unit lecture hall, 350-Seater Auditorium, an Administration Block and other auxiliary structures. It is about 65 per cent complete.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who said this at her Ministry’s turn of the Meet-the-Press Series in Accra, gave the assurance that her Ministry would assist to enhance access and the position of the institution to train more world class journalists and media practitioners.

She announced that the Government had also taken steps to transform the National Film and Television Training Institute (NAFTI) into a College of Media and Creative Arts under the Ministry of Education.

She said Cabinet had approved a Memorandum in this regard and processes were ongoing in liaison with the National Council for Tertiary Education to ensure the transformation of NAFTI.

The Minister said the Bill was currently with the Attorney General’s Department for onward transmission to Parliament for consideration and passage into law.

“In this regard, a provision has been made in the 2017 budget for the Institute,” she added.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said in line with the Government’s vision of providing a public university in every region, a Presidential Taskforce was constituted to develop a roadmap for the establishment of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in the Eastern Region.

“Land has been secured in Somanya and Donkorkrom for the siting of the university…. the government is vigorously pursuing funding options to commence the construction of key facilities,” she added.

On the Student Loan Scheme, she said the Trust had approved an increment in the loan offered to students from between a GHC 650 – GHC 1600 over two semesters package to GHC 1000 – GHC 2000 payable over two semesters.

She said the new levels of Student Loan effect in the 2016/2017 Academic year.

The Minister announced the introduction of a Student Loan Plus (SL-Plus) which has been designed to cater for students who gain admission to tertiary institutions but are financially handicapped in raising the initial time-bound registration fees.

“The SL-Plus is an extension of the qualification period for a regular student loan to include the Tertiary Admission Phase,” she added.

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Source: GNA

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