SPEED UP APPOINTMENT OF SUBSTANTIVE VC FOR UDS (PAGE 11)

THE Governing Council of the University for Development Studies (UDS), has been inaugurated in Tamale with a call on members to fashion innovative policies and programmes that will improve the fortunes of the multi-faculty campus university.
The Deputy Minister in charge of Higher Education, Dr J.S. Annan, made the call and entreated members of the council to expedite action on the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor (VC) for the university, which has been led by an acting V.C for several years now.
The 14-member council is chaired by Dr Abdulai Salifu, who is also the Director-General of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Other members include the Kumbung-Naa Yiri II, Professor Thomas Bayorbor, Dr Steven Ayidiya, Dr Gamel Nasser, Hajia Fati Seidu and Chief Awudu Abukari. The rest are the acting Vice Chancellor of the UDS, Professor K.S Nokoe, Dr Seidu Alhassan and Mr Michael King.
The new council is the fourth to be inaugurated since the establishment of the university in 1993. The student population has since increased from 40 to 10,500.
The minister, therefore, commended management of the university for their dedication and commitment to the establishment of more faculties, resulting in the increase in enro lment, in spite of the limited resources of the pioneer university in the north.
According to Dr Annan, “it is now clear that the setting up of the UDS by the erstwhile Rawlings regime was not a mistake, but a giant step in education development in the country”.
Dr Annan called for peaceful and harmonious academic environment, and also stressed the need for the necessary support and co-operation among all stakeholders of the UDS for accelerated growth of the university.
For his part, Professor Nokoe explained that the inauguration of the council had been delayed following some outstanding issues and challenges that confronted the university.
“The delay had led to several rumours and unsubstantiated allegations, often frivolous and of malicious nature; a number of these issues are currently in the court of law,” he stated.
He, however, indicated that in spite of those challenges, management had stood its grounds to ensure that the core functions of the university to attain its mandate were on track.
On behalf of members of the council, Dr Salifu expressed appreciation to the Government for the confidence reposed in them, and promised to live up to expectation by working within their job specification of ensuring academic excellence.