Otumfuo to institute endowment fund for four universities

Kumasi, Jan 18, GNA-The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will this year institute endowment funds for four public universities each as his contribution towards funding tertiary education to facilitate academic work at the tertiary level.

The University of Ghana, Legon, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast and University of Development Studies (UDS) will be the beneficiaries of the endowment fund to be launched in April this year.

This was contained in a message delivered on behalf of the Asantehene by Oheneba Adusei Poku, Akyempemhene, when the Students Representative Council (SRC) of KNUST paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace on Sunday to observe and participate in the celebration of the 'Akwasidae'.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said in order to ensure the successful take-off of the fund, he had earmarked one billion cedis seed money for each of the four universities.

He cautioned the students to be disciplined and committed to their books since the nation looked up to them to take up the mantle of leadership and challenged them to research and be creative to accelerate the pace of development of the country.

The Asantehene later donated 100 million cedis towards the construction of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II SRC hostel being built by the SRC to accommodate about 2,000 students.

Mr Maximus Adu-Sarfo, President of the KNUST SRC, commended the Asantehene for his commitment towards the construction of the hostel and said the first phase of the project had been completed and that about 80 students had been accommodated there.