Salaries for public servants to improve in 2007 -Minister

Accra, Nov. 11, GNA - Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports on Saturday pledged the Government's commitment to improve the salaries of public sector workers next year.

He said all public servants would be placed on the same salary scale to reduce discrepancies in the salary structure.

=93Within the next five years a situation would be created where workers with the same qualification, irrespective of the place of work, would enjoy the same salary after a job evaluation had been undertaken,=93 he added.

Papa Owusu Ankomah made the pledge at the 2006 congregation of University of Ghana, Legon, where 2,024 students graduated. He said Government had taken note of the need to increase salaries of workers, especially University Teachers to give off their best in science and technology education.

Papa Owusu Ankomah said economies of the world were increasingly being shaped by the rapid rate of scientific and technological progress and Ghana's socio-economic development depended largely on the development of science and technology education.

He said to support the development of infrastructure in tertiary institutions in the country the Ministry had over the years allocated an average of about 15-16 per cent of education budget to the tertiary sector and about 45 per cent of the GETFUND.

Papa Owusu Ankomah said some of the recommendations in the Government's White Paper on Education Reforms included commercialising research findings, promoting income generating activities on the various campuses, forging closer industry-university collaboration for practical training and providing special incentives for science and technology students.

He urged the graduands to continue with self-development and be agents of change in society and in addition, contribute their quota to the development of their alma mater to enable others benefit.

Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancellor of the University, said lack of adequate on-campus accommodation for both students and staff had impeded the need to admit more students and employed higher numbers of qualified staff.

He said the University had a total staff strength of 4,537 of which 22 per cent were women compared to the 5,600 students who registered for this academic year out of which 42 per cent were women.

Professor Tagoe said on going hostel projects by private developers to provide 8,000 students accommodation within the next three years as well as the University's own hostel project to provide 6,000 more accommodation, would attract young graduates to teach when provided with the needed incentives.

He said indiscipline was also another problem to the university and that its motto Intergri Procedamus (Progress and Integrity) was being impugned and urged stakeholders to abide by the rules and regulations. "We will continue to work towards upholding the interest of the University, and re-building the esteem in which we have been held for years, by both our foreign and local publics," he added. He said some changes had been made in the University Council, with Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi as Chairman and a process had been initiated for the appointment of a new Chancellor, after the death of Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II last year.

Professor Tagoe said the University had officially expressed interest in the Ghana Airways residential property at Kisseman near Legon which had been put up for sale and appealed to Government to assist the university acquire it after the legal issues had been resolved.

Mr Oteng-Gyasi urged the graduands to make their mark where ever they found themselves.

"Let all you come into contact with have no doubt in their minds that you are a graduate from the premier University of Ghana, which though it has gone through rough times, like the proverbial phoenix, will definitely manage to shake out its wings, and soar once again"

Miss Olivia Abiwu, who had First Class Honours in Bachelor of Science (BSc) Administration, on behalf of the graduands said they would not see their qualification as an end in itself but rather a means to an end.

"We shall eschew complacency and mediocrity and strive to attain the greatest possible heights in whatever chosen field of endeavour."

The congregation, a ceremony to award degrees and diplomas to deserving students, was held for graduating students of the Faculties of Law, Science, College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and Business School.

Another one would be held in March next year for the Humanities because the high number made it difficult to complete the necessary processes for students to graduate soon after completion of their studies.

Two thousand and twenty five students graduated, made up of 350 Post Graduates, 1,474 for the First Degree, 182 for Diplomas and 19 for various certificates.

A total of 211 students obtained First Class Honours at the Bachelor's Degree level, 453 had Second Class Upper, 690 Second Class Lower and 111 Third Class.