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Women urged to pursue Engineering Courses in Universities-KTU VC
The Vice Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University(KTU), Professor David Kofi Essumang has urged more women to pursue engineering programmes in the technical universities.
He noted that, female enrolment with regard to engineering courses was one of the lowest compared with other programmes in the technical universities.
“You go to the engineering classes and you will either find few women or no women at all and this is not encouraging.We need more women to pursue such courses.”
Professor Essumang was speaking at a short ceremony to honour one of the Higher National Diploma (HND) students, Ms. Chrisbella Tiwaa Nkansah who was adjudged the overall best female student in Medical Laboratory Sciences(HND) in Ghana by the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Sciences (GAMLS).
GAMLS gave the award after organising a competition among HND and Diploma Medical Laboratory Science students from the various universities in the country.
Chrisbella from KTU emerged best female student with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)in the area of Medical Laboratory Sciences in this year’s competition.
The Vice Chancellor reiterated the need for more women to venture into engineering and science related courses so that they would be empowered.
“There is the need to reverse the trend where we have more males than females doing engineering and science related courses because females also have a vital role to play in the development process of our society and country through science and engineering.”
Prof. Essumang said that KTU was proud to have one of its female students adjudged the overall best female in Medical Laboratory Sciences in universities across the country and urged other women to be encouraged by the achievement of Ms Nkansah.
He disclosed that management had put in place certain initiatives to encourage the enrolment of more females into such areas and was committed to helping such females to successfully complete their courses and said that the university would support the awardee in her field of choice.
He encouraged her not to relent on her oars but to strive to achieve more for herself and the university.
Ms Chrisbella Tiwaa Nkansah thanked management and faculty for their support and the honour done her and assured that, she would put up her best in any endeavour to make the University proud.
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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