THE government has pledged a GH¢100 million support for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to help accelerate infrastructural development in the school.
It has also increased the school’s yearly budget allocation by 85 per cent.
The President, Prof. John Evan Atta-Mills, whose speech was read on his behalf by the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, stated this at the school’s first congregation in Tarkwa. He explained that the GH¢100 million was separate from the GETFund allocation and would be spread over the next five years.
In all, a total of 231 students, graduated in Geomantic, Mining, Geological, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
President Mills assured the university that in the coming years, the government would make other special allocations towards the school’s development through the GETFund.
The development of UMaT, the President said, was dear to the heart of the government.
“We expect that the money would be used to provide infrastructure, lecture halls, laboratories and workshops to fulfil the mandate of the university, which is to provide higher education in mining and petroleum and technology.”
Prof. Mills said with the strategic position of the university in the Western Region for mining and the new oil find, the government had no option than offering the needed support to enable it achieve its aim.
He said he had followed the processes through which the university became what it is today, adding, “From the humble beginning of a technical institute, this university, the sixth public university in the country, is now the one and the only mining university in the West African Sub-region.”
The Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah, thanked the government for the support.
He said the university was getting ready to commence programmes in petroleum engineering next academic year.
This, according to him, was to satisfy the country’s demand for skilled manpower for the emerging oil and gas industry.
He further stated that the school was also determined to start new programmes in civil engineering, wind and solar energy engineering and biomass energy engineering.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah noted that the country was potentially rich, since it was gifted with more natural resources than what had been extracted.
He said aside the exploration of gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, salt, sand and gravel, “We also have iron, casseterite, asbestos, limestone, marbles, andalusite, mica, talc, silica, garnet, felspar, sandstone, beryl columbite, lithium, monazite, copper, kaoline as well as oil and gas, of which we are yet to tap to the country’s advantage.”
The challenge at the moment, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah said, was how to use correct mining and processing methods to mine these minerals in an environmentally friendly manner to minimise environmental damage.
“The direct inference is that if we need to develop our country to become an industrial nation, then we need to develop this university and we need to resource it amply, so that it can carry out its mandate effectively,” he said.
As part of the ceremony, five distinguished personalities were decorated by the university with doctoral degrees in science and for their dedication to the cause of education and national development.
The awardees included Mr Stephen Saforo Yirenkyi of Goldfields Ghana, Hotelier and Strategic Planner; Mr Kofi Sarfo Ababio, Lawyer and Lecturer; Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Mines; Madam Elizabeth Ohene, former Minister of State, and Osagyefo Dr Kwamena Enimil VI, the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.
Before conferring the honour on them, Prof. Bruce Banoeng-Yakubu said these individuals had played very important roles in the development of education in the country.
On behalf of the awardees, Mr Yirenkyi said they were humbled by the recognition even when they were working just for the good of mankind.
He said all the award winners were taken by surprise, saying, “We were just working for our fellow compatriots and it is interesting that somebody took interest and decided to award us.”
Mr Yirenkyi said the award should inspire the youth, society and corporate Ghana to be dedicated to their line of duty to ensure that the country’s interest was placed first.
He, therefore, thanked the university for the honour done them and pledged their unflinching support to ensure that the university positioned itself as the take-off point of modern-day industrial revolution.
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