The government has laid before Parliament bills seeking to establish five Universities across the country.
This includes the University of Mampong Bill, the 2024; University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Bill, the 2024; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, the 2024; the University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kintampo Bill, 2024 and the University of Local Governance and Development Bill, 2024.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, emphasised that these universities are part of a broader strategy to enhance regional access to higher education and decentralise university education.
“The first one is the University of Mampong. It is a combination of Mampong Technical College and a branch of Appiah Minkah University located in Mampong. Mr Speaker, this is to ensure effective management by ensuring that the organisation has a local system and structure instead of being an affiliate or a branch of the Appiah Minkah University in Kumasi.
“Mr Speaker, over the years, we’ve seen that Appiah Minkah used to be part of the main campus and it gained independence. So, this is to ensure efficiency. Mr Speaker, the university at Kintampo have been there for years. We believe that because of its track record it can be upgraded into a university, it used to be a college. Mr Speaker, the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the Ahafo Region is an opportunity for the region to have a university of its own and a campus with all the required infrastructure which will add value to our country.
“… Mr Speaker, we have the Bunso which is going to be the Engineering and Agriculture Sciences also to add value to the stock of universities we have in this country, especially in enhancing STEM education. So, all these universities with a focus on engineering and health sciences should add more to the stock of universities we have,” he stated.
However, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, expressed concerns about the lack of briefing on the fiscal implications of the bills, considering the limited time for a change in government.
“Mr Speaker if it is for regions, it is obvious that the Oti Region and the Western North are not included in this list, they are the two regions that are still not having universities. So, if the intention is to have a university in every region then there is the need for us to urgently consider Oti and Western North.
“The only concern I have is that we are four months into the next election and five universities are being done, the fiscal implication is not well known. So, in the explanatory note, the minister should have added the fiscal implication to the new universities they intend to establish because it is not just a university by name, you have to provide amenities and serious infrastructure to befit a university,” he stated.
