PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOSTELS TO STUDENTS (PAGE 11)

THE acting Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Professor Kaku Sagary Nokoe, has appealed to estate developers to consider as a matter of business prudence to develop affordabe hostels around the campuses of the university.
In the same vein, he also passionately appealed to the Ghana Hostels Limited, a subsidiary of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), to consider putting the Wa campus of the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies on its list given the growth of student numbers, saying that the university was prepared to co-operate on mutually agreed terms.
He made the appeal at the 16th matriculation of the university at Wa.
In all 3,500 students were admitted to pursue various courses at the Wa campus.
Prof. Nokoe, noted that admissions for the 2008-09 academic year had been challenging but the university had demonstrated its commitment towards providing education for all by ensuring that all qualified applicants from deprived communities, remotely located schools from all parts of Ghana and all qualified females were offered admission for various programmes.
He said 20 per cent of the total applicants could not gain admission to the university.
He said with the introduction of post-diploma and direct degree programmes in community development studies and limited specialisation into the integrated development studies, a substantial percentage of students were admitted to the Wa campus of the university.
On infrastructural development, Prof. Nokoe mentioned that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) continued to provide immense support towards the construction of physical infrastructure including lecture halls, offices and residential accommodation.
Prof. Nokoe urged the matriculants to acquaint themselves with all regulations governing their stay in the university, as their ignorance of the regulations, or of any public notice shall not be accepted as an excuse for any breach of discipline.
Touching on the forthcoming elections, he advised the students not to allow themselves to be deceived and forced into taking unnecesary actions that could disturb the peace of the country.
On his part, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr George Hikah Benson, appealed to landlords not to take advantage of the situation of students to charge exorbitant rents and called on the people of the region to support the university to address their accommodation problems.
In a related development, Prof. Nokoe disclosed in a speech read on his behalf at the 16th matriculation ceremony of the university at Nyankpala in the Tolon-Kumbungu District in the Northern Region, that a total of 5,592 fresh students were admitted for the 2008/09 academic year, reports Vincent Adedze.
Prof. Nokoe said the students wouls pursue such courses as agriculture, applied sciences, community nutrition and integrated development studies.
Students were also admitted to pursue Master of Science, Philosophy and Doctorate degree programmes, Prof. Nokoe noted.
“We call on business-minded individuals in Tamale and its environs to invest in hostels and the provision of other services around the Tamale campus; the university is prepared to co-operate on mutually agreed terms”, the acting Vice Chancellor stressed.
He expressed concern about the peculiar problems of students at the Wa and Navrongo campuses where most of them live in private homes and community compounds and entreated them to “behave as mature university students and to respect the norms and values of the people you interact with every day”.
Professor Nokoe advised students to adhere to laid-down regulations of the university to avoid sanctions, adding that any student who wished to defer a programme must apply to the Dean of Faculty and give reasons for the deferment.