Ghana can't attain middle income status without ICT

Tema, May 03, GNA -- Professor Daniel Buor, Provost, College of Art and Social Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has noted that, Ghana's goal of attaining middle income status by 2015 would be a mirage without quality Information, Communication Technology (ICT).

Speaking at the first matriculation ceremony of Data Link University College (DLUC) in Tema, Prof. Buor stated that, "The goal of becoming a middle income country by 2015 will be a mirage if the ICT technology is not given the desired attention".

According to him, the language and skill of ICT is crucial in international interactions and transactions in commerce and trade in this era of globalization.

Elaborating on the importance of ICT, the Provost indicated that, the introduction of ICT in the Judicial service was speeding up judicial process, adding that, its introduction into the electoral process would minimize the political crisis in Africa through minimizing electoral fraud.

Touching on its importance academically, he noted that, it is a tool for gaining current knowledge in all fields of academic exploits, adding, "an academic without a fundamental knowledge in ICT is an illiterate academic".

Prof. Bour therefore noted that, DLUC has an uphill task of training ICT graduates to fill sensitive positions in the economy, while urging the students to take advantage of the institution's facilities and programmes to sharpen their skills in preparation for the job market. Mr Ernest Ansah, President of DLUC, giving the matriculation address stated that, the institution took its origins from the Data Link Company Limited, a non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in the country as a charitable educational enterprise since 1993.

He noted that, the company went through three phases of transformation to its present status, stating that, the first phase was the distribution and installation of computers in second cycle institutions; phase two being collaborating with National Computer Centre (NCC) in the United Kingdom.

Touching on the third, the President of DLUC mentioned that, it involved obtaining accreditation from the National Accreditation Board of which the institution received in September 2006 to run a four-year undergraduate degree programmes leading to the award of Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and information systems, Banking and Finance as well as Accounting.

Mr Ansah announced that, the university college which operates currently from a temporary location in Tema has acquired a one-mile square piece of land on the Akosombo-Tema trunk road, near Doryumu for its permanent campus.

Advising the 354 matriculants, he said the discipline was high on the institution's agenda therefore, riots and other strikes would not be entertained.

He therefore urged them to form a respectable students union with level headed leaders who know the college's courses as well as its rules and regulations.

The students, dressed in their academic gowns pledged to hold solemn the rules and regulations of the institutions to lift the school's name high, they were each presented with the institution's hand book.