It was an exciting blend of joy, history and memorable moments as 564 graduates of the UPSA Law School and the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies were awarded with degree and diploma certificates at the First Session of the 12th Congregation Ceremony of the University.

The event was held on Wednesday without guests, family, friends and well-wishers to ensure social-distancing in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In his welcome address, Dr Kofi Ohene-Konadu, Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, commended the graduands for weathering the storm to complete the last semester of their programmes despite bearing the brunt of the academic uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also congratulated Prof. Abednego F. O. Amartey on his re-appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University for a second term and urged him to do more to justify the trust reposed in him by the University Council.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abednego F. O. Amartey, in his address to Congregation described the 2019/2020 cohort as his “own” and very special to his heart, explaining that he assumed office as VC when the current graduating class were in their first year.

Prof. Amartey in marking another epoch in the University’s history, commended the first graduating class of the 4-Year Bachelor of Laws programme of the UPSA Law School saying “this is a great milestone.”

The Vice-Chancellor also expressed his gratitude to the Government of Ghana (GoG) for selecting UPSA as one of the public tertiary institutions to benefit from GoG’s Free WIFI project, being implemented through the Electricity Company of Ghana’s fibre optic network.

He was hopeful that the project will improve internet connectivity on the UPSA campus.

The Director of Public Prosecutions at the Attorney General’s Department, Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, who was the Special Guest of Honour for the occasion, challenged the graduands to put their skills to the test and take advantage of the opportunities that life presents.

She implored the graduating class to employ the virtues of persistence, honesty and sacrifice as they leave academia to pursue other goals in life.

“Your degree is just a foundation,” Mrs Obuobisa said. “It is what you do with the degree that matters.”

Mrs. Obuobisa called on the graduands to invest in further learning and eschew any shortcuts to getting to the top.

In all, a total number of 564 graduands participated in the First Session of the 2020 Congregation. The UPSA Law School presented 130 students whiles the FITC presented a total of 434 students. Out of 130 from the Law School, 27 obtained Second Class Upper degrees and 45 received Second Class degrees. 42 obtained Third Class degrees and only 16 went home with a Pass.

The FITC graduates comprised 148 undergraduates and 286 diploma students. With the undergraduates, 5 obtained First Class, 59 Second Class Upper and 49 Second Class Lower. 27 had Third Class and 7 Passes. Seven of the Diplomates attained Distinction, while 174 obtained Credit and 105 graduated with a Pass.