From Richard Owusu-Akyaw,
The Agona Traditional Council (ATC) and the Sekyere South District Assembly have jointly handed over 52 plots of land (13 acres) to the Salvation Army of Ghana (SAG) to establish a university at Agona in the Ashanti region.
The successful implementation of the project will be SAG’s second university in Africa, after the one in Democratic Republic of Congo. The Salvation Army operates in 127 countries across the globe and has been in Ghana since 1922.
The proposed university intends to run degree programmes in Nursing, Business, Education and Theology, on completion.
All things being equal, a sod cutting ceremony for the commencement of the project would start next month with help from Salvation Army international and territorial headquarters, when the blueprint have been presented to Nananom for their perusal and approval.
At a handing over ceremony at Agona, Edward Kusi Ayarkwa, the District Chief Executive of Sekyere South, indicated that on assumption of office as DCE, the ATC mooted the idea for the establishment of a technical institution, which later changed to a university.
He said since they were faced with financial constraints, the ATC and the Assembly decided to put the project on tender, after which the Salvation Army won the bid.
The DCE noted that the development of every nation depends on education and hoped the project would benefit the people, since they would not travel far to access tertiary education and assured that the District Assembly will support the establishment of the university.
Nana Amoah Gyasi, the Adontenhene of Agona, who led the ATC delegation to the handing over ceremony, expressed appreciation for the bold step of the SAG to set up a university in Agona and assured the church of further assistance, if the need arose.
The Territorial Commander of SAG, Col Joseph Lukau noted that the objective of establishing the university is a function of The Salvation Army Act 1980, which requires “the advancement of the Christian Religion, and pursuant thereto, the advancement of education, relief of poverty and other charitable objects beneficial to society or community of mankind as a whole”.
He said education is a critical constituent of the global development of man and provides the high-level skills necessary for every labour market and builds man’s mental faculty. It is essential for the training of teachers, doctors, nurses, civil servants, engineers, humanists, entrepreneurs, scientists and social scientists.
Col Lukau noted that besides training people to be morally sound and leading worthy lives, Salvation Army is well noted for charitable works evidenced in the establishment of first and second cycle institutions widely across Ghana since 1922.
The SAG commander stated: “The University will also establish a strong bond between the Salvation Army, the various Departments, other Churches and the General Community as Stakeholders.
He announced that a well-endowed Committee comprising Professors, Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Professionals of all kinds, Technocrats and qualified Administrative Personnel has been set up to steer the affairs in the establishment of the university and urged the District Assembly and communities to see it as their own and selflessly support the project as the church spearheads it.
Prof Charles Antwi-Boasiako, the Chairman of the SAG University Steering Committee, disclosed that the church intends having about three satellite campuses for the running of their programmes in nursing, business and education, in which music would be incorporated.
“We want to build a university where music education would be very much paramount so that all the musicians that are growing will direct their attention to our school to develop their capacity”
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