The installation ceremony which took place at the UMaT campus on Friday was to confer authority on the new Chancellor and welcome him officially to the University system.

Hundreds of people including representatives of government, organizations, traditional authorities, members of the university staff across the country, students and the general public attended the special event.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led former President Kufour through the swearing of oath of office.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nana Akufo-Addo commended the university’s council for recognising the immense contributions of the former President made during his term in office for UMaT and mother Ghana.

The President said with the nine uncompleted Mineral Development Fund (MDF) projects on UMaT’s campus, Mr. John Peter Amewu, minister of Lands and Natural Resource has assured him that through the MDF all the deficit projects would be completed soon to commemorate the event.

President Akufo-Addo said he had been informed that 26 kilometers square of land had been donated to the university by the chief and people of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area  and that designs for the construction of the 20,000 student capacity complex had been completed awaiting funds for the commencement of the project .

The President noted that the government would give an annual special budgetary allocation of 5 million Cedis to the University for projects.

He said there were  few countries in the world with Universities dedicated to mining and allied industries and added that UMaT would provide higher education in mining technology and related science and also acted as a catalyst in the development of mining and technology.

He pointed out that ministry of Lands and Natural Resource and the university in its contribution to the fight against illegal mining had trained 400 small scale miners with additional 1,000 more set to be trained this year on sustainable mining practices.

According to the President, “The Ministry of Railway Development and UMaT wanting to revive the railway training school is a step in the very right direction considering government’s determination to revamp the railway sector”.

President Akufo-Addo said his government would rehabilitate and equip existing laboratories as well as the construction of new buildings that were currently on-going to enable the university deliver effectively on its mandate of teaching, research and community service.

Delivering his address, former President Kufour said in the current world, the future belonged to the economies that take technology and innovation seriously, and made the conscious effort to train their manpower in these competencies.

He said science, technology, engineering and mathematics education should be the cornerstone of the educational curricula of any serious nation that seek to develop industrially.

The former President said the university chosen to be committed singularly to this all important academic endeavor, with accompanying practical experience, was worthy of commendation and support from government.

He said “I envisage a future where this university will fast become the centre of the industry-driven transformational economic takeoff that you have resolved and declared as the cornerstone of your government’s development policies”.

“Your Excellency, Mr. President, l know that the exploitation of the country’s bauxite resources is dear to your heart, and you envision an integrated aluminium and bauxite industry as well as other metallurgical industries in the not too distant future,” he said.

He pledged to work with the government to provide technologies and the requisite trained manpower to realise their noble vision under his chancellorship and appealed to Ghanaians to support UMaT to become a true centre of excellence in mining and technology.

Professor Jerry Kuma, Vice Chancellor indicated that if UMaT is given the necessary support to expand its infrastructure, laboratory equipment and staff development, the university would do more in the area of research and bring out more inventions to benefit Ghanaians.

In addition, he said UMaT would also be in a better position to absorb more of the students who would gain admission as a result of the free Senior High School programme.

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Source: GNA

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The Tarkwa-based tertiary institution was renamed on Friday, January 12, 2018 at a special congregation held at the school to install former President John Kufuor as its Chancellor.

Kufuor, who commissioned the school back in August 2005, will be its first Chancellor.

President Nana Addo, who announced the renaming of the university, said: “It is only fitting that this great modest man who can lay a legitimate claim of being the father of modern Ghanaian nationalist should be properly honoured by a grateful posterity by us who are heirs of the freedom he so violently fought for especially by the citizens of this great Western Region.”

“I appreciate the special moment this will be for me, a descendant of all the myriad of persons who assembled at Saltpond under his president , the lost United Gold Coast Convention UGCC on that fateful Saturday 4th August 1947 when the power of Ghanaian freedom and independence was nominated to be the president who will have the privilege to assent to this decision,” he added.

Chairman of the University’s Council, Dr. Stephen S. Yirenkyi, in his address pleaded with the President Akufo-Addo to allocate funds to the school for the completion of legacy projects,  incompletion is impeding teaching and learning.

“I humbly request that the President commits adequate funds for the expansion of this University for the completion the uncompleted projects which are fast deteriorating,” he said.

While calling on the government and the University Staff to support Kufuor govern the school, Dr. Yirenkyi noted that the new Chancellor had an enormous task to enable the institution “continue to stand tall.”

“Today the University is seeing a new phase. The Chancellor has an enormous responsibility to make this University continue to stand tall and maintain its positions as the best public-funded University in Ghana. I am also optimistic that he will be given the needed support by the President and his government, Captains of the mining and the allied industries and rank and file of the university to make his work as the chancellor a pleasant one,” he said.

Originally known as the Tarkwa Technical Institute in 1952 when it was first established, the school became a fully fledged University in November 2004 by an Act of Parliament (Act 677).

About George Grant 

George Alfred Grant, popularly known as Paa Grant was a merchant and politician.

As a political activist, he was a founder and the first president of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947.

Grant was educated at Wesleyan School in Cape Coast and through private tuition given by Joseph D. Abraham, a wealthy merchant friend of his father’s.

Grant was subsequently employed in the timber trade, first at Axim and then for five years in the Ivory Coast.

In 1896, he established his own firm, George Grant and Company.He prospered as a timber merchant, with a flourishing export business, at a time when the trade was dominated by European companies.

In 1926 he was appointed to the Legislative Council, representing Sekondi. Grant was also a member of the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society and was instrumental in many development projects including introducing street lighting and pipe-borne water to Sekondi and Axim.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UMaT renamed George Grant University of Mines and Technology appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.