Govt figure on GETFund arrears correct -NUGS Board Member

Mampong (Ash), Jan. 25, GNA - Mr Kotoka Issahaku, representative of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Board, has stated that the 208.81 billion cedis quoted by the government as being the arrears of the fund was correct. Speaking at the joint inauguration of a 1.074 billion-cedi lecture hall for the Asante-Mampong Campus of the University of Education, Winneba and the presentation of a double cabin pick-up to the university on Saturday, he said it had been proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the figure was correct.

Mr Issahaku urged his colleague students to close the page on the issue to enable the board members to work to the best of their ability. Mr Fosuaba Mensah Banahene, the Administrator of the GETFund, cautioned the student leadership to handle issues on the fund with academic circumspection in order not to erode public confidence in the fund.

He expressed regret that the student leadership had of late quoted huge figures as the GETFund arrears instead of getting the actual figure, thereby polluting the minds of the people on the judicious use of the fund.

Mr Banahene said the fund had sustained the nation's universities and challenged the student leadership to sensitise the public to contribute towards it and not to discredit it.

Professor Josephus Anamuah-Mensah, the Vice-Chancellor of UEW, lauded the establishment of the fund, noting that it had to some extent helped the government to realise its expanded programme on education and quality delivery of the education objective.

He appealed to the board of the fund to give premium to the construction of a well-equipped library as well as a computer and education resource centre for the College of Agriculture.

Professor Anamuah-Mensah stressed the need for the GETFund to the universities to be doubled to enhance the expansion of facilities to enable them to compete favourably in the global education market.

Professor Ambrose Kwame Tuah, Principal of the College of Agriculture Education, noted that the future of agricultural development and research was bleak because the sector had for the past decade failed to attract the best brains.

To reverse this trend, he called for policies that would turn the fortunes of the agriculture sector round. 25 Jan. 04