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Latecomers to forfeit certificates for a year …UHAS Council Chair warns graduating students
Graduating students who turn up late for their congregation must have their degree ceremonies deferred for at least one year, Mr Justice Victor Jones M. Dotse, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Council Chairman, has said.
He insisted that under no circumstance should a person who has spent years in academia, pursuing a career degree should be late to an even as sacred as his or her congregation.
Mr Justice Dotse, who is a Supreme Court Judge, made the remarks at the 6th Congregation of UHAS at the main campus at Sokode-Lokoe, near Ho, on November 12, this year.
While the ceremony was ongoing, some graduating students were still trickling in.
The UHAS Council Chairman said that what was even more bizarre was how some students were still outside taking photographs while the ceremony was in progress.
He said that the conduct of those graduating students amounted to gross indiscipline and disrespect with impunity.
Mr Justice Dotse observed that discipline was declining rapidly among young people in the communities, “but UHAS will not tolerate any form of indiscipline from students.”
On other matters, he said that UHAS’ mission was to provide quality education, advance knowledge through scholarship and research to improve health and quality of life.
The university also seeks to be a pre-eminent health research educational institution dedicated to community service, and is doing quite well in that regard, Mr Justice Dotse added.
He said that UHAS had been making conscious efforts with regard to the research agenda and it was necessary that the government supported that activity with the necessary financial assistance to the university’s policies.
In that vein, the council chairman said the national research agenda must focus on clear implementation strategies that inured to the benefits of society.
“Public universities like UHAS must be supported timely with adequate research funds through national budgetary allocations.
“It is trite knowledge that most great nations develop through scientific research, thereby making them responsive and resilient in the face of social problems, and Ghana must learn from this global example,” he stressed.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Sokode-Lokoe
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
