ADDRESS BY PROF. EDEM KWASI BAKAH, PRESIDENT OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE (EPUC), HO AT THE ELEVENTH (11TH) AND TWELFTH (12TH) GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, ON FRIDAY, 14TH MAY, 2021 AT E. P. CHURCH DELA CATHEDRAL, HO-KPODZI, HO
Chairperson of the Governing Council of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College, Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, permit me to stand on the protocol already established to give my address.
Rev. Chairperson, permit me also to welcome you all once again to the Evangelical Presbyterian University College. It is, indeed, a great joy for me to see you all here on this special occasion that marks the 11th and 12th Graduation Ceremony of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College.
Rev. Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen, last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to hold this event for the 2018-2019 batch. However, we are happy that, today, we are witnessing it in addition to that of the 2019-2020 cohort of students.
Rev. Chairperson, my full report covering the last two years will be accessible on the Website of the University College. As a result, I will provide a summary of that report in my address in the next fifteen (15) minutes. I will take you through some key statistics in relation to the performance of the two batches. I will also touch on areas such as academic programmes, staff development and student welfare, collaboration and partnership, communication and information flow, infrastructure and alumni. I will also appeal for support and acknowledge the support of our stakeholders and sponsors. I will then conclude by sharing few thoughts with our graduands.
Some key statistics
Rev. Chairperson, today, we are graduating Five Hundred and Seventy (570) students from eleven (11) degree programmes namely Accounting and Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Organisational Development, Credit Management and Finance, Corporate Secretaryship and Management, Integrated Development Studies, Governance Studies, Environmental Science, Agribusiness, Animal Science and Fisheries and French Language. These programmes are all spread across four schools, that is School of Business, School of Social Sciences, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and School of Modern Languages. The total number comprises 282 students of the 2019 cohort representing 160 (57%) males and 122 (43%) females and 288 for the 2020 group constituting 160 (56%) males and 128 (44%) females. With reference to the 2019 cohort, we have 29 (24 males 5 females) First Class (10%), 127 (73 males 54 females) Second Class Upper constituting 45%, 85 (43 males and 42 females) Second Class Lower (30%), 32 (12 males and 20 females) Third Class (11%) and 9 (8 males and 1 females) representing 3% Pass. The 2020 group recorded 39 (23 males and 16 males) First Class representing 14%, 118 (75 males 43 females) Second Class Upper constituting 41%, 88 (42 males and 46 females) Second Class Lower (31%), 35 (16 males and 19 females) Third Class (12%) and 8 (4 males and 4 females – 3%) Pass. This is a commendable performance but there is always room for improvement.
Academic programmes
A number of programmes were introduced in the last two years including Diploma in Human Resource Management. Rev. Chairperson, while working on ensuring that the existing programmes get re-accreditation on time and are reviewed periodically to make them relevant to the needs of society, we will take steps to introduce market-driven and ICT-infused programmes. On that score, I wish to commend my predecessor, Dr. Kenneth Nyalemegbe and his team for working tirelessly to initiate the process of starting a graduate school with MBA programmes in Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, Procurement and Supply Chain Management and MBA Marketing. The University College has had a visit from The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and we are currently working with our mentor institution, UCC to clear few hurdles so that we can rollout the programme, with an approval from GTEC, come September this year. We, therefore, call on our Mentor institution to support us, as they always do, to expedite action on the application. We also appeal to them, as I did in my investiture address, not to compete with us, through their Distance Education Programme in the Region, for students in the said programmes.
Rev. Chairperson, our nation needs a lot more graduates who can analyse complex situations or problems confronting us and devise the best solution based on strong reasoning and critical thinking. We need citizens who have passion for justice and who must contribute to building a very strong system in the country. In order words, we need graduates who can cause a significant change by ensuring that our laws work as expected. Also, we need to train and build capacity in the areas of Peace and Security as a nation. This is essential and critical as it affects our economic and social development and contributes to the realisation of human rights. To this end, Rev. Chairperson, consultations are currently underway for the establishment of a Law Faculty and postgraduate programmes in Peace and Security. These flagship programmes, when introduced, will contribute immensely to meeting the human capital needs in those areas and also enhance our impact on society as a University College.
Rev. Chairperson, being mindful of our mandate to affect life and be relevant to our community, we will introduce short courses as a way of responding to the needs of society. One of such courses under consideration will, among other things, train staff in the agriculture sector in the areas of propagation techniques of trees, production of pot plants, nursery management, management of solar dryers and post-harvest management of plant parts. Other short and certificate courses being considered are in Early Childhood Education, Governance Studies, French and English Proficiency, Basic Financial Records Keeping, Basic Financial Management, Basic Costing, Customer Care Service, Basic Steps in Motivating Employees and Effective Office Management. The Department of Animal Science will also develop demonstration units in piggery, poultry, sheep/goats and fisheries at EPUC site at Akoefe or Wumenu.
Rev. Chairperson, plans are also underway to introduce Bachelor of Arts in Music and Diploma in Music programmes at the Green Hill Campus, that is the E. P. Theological Seminary located at Peki in the Volta Region.
Collaboration and Partnerships
Rev. Chairperson, as a nation, we have paid little attention to ethics especially in higher education over the years. We often churn out graduates who are ethically weak, morally corrupt, and ill-equipped to ensure a better future for the next generation. Consequently, knowing our roots as a Church establishment and in our effort to inculcate a strong ethical culture in our dear institution, Management of the University College is partnering with Globetics.net, a worldwide ethics organisation, to do a pilot self-assessment on institutional ethics at EPUC. The pending assessment that will be carried out next week, was preceded by a workshop on the Ethics Model of Excellence Tool (EMET) held in Accra from 29th March to 1st April, 2021 and a subsequent presentation of the report on the workshop shared with duty bearers and the SRC at EPUC. We impatiently await the outcome of such an assessment to better appreciate our status on ethical culture and determine the way forward. We also are in talks with Globethics.net to seal our relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding. Such a collaboration will benefit the University College tremendously in the areas of human capital capacity building, e-resources, publications, and other areas of collaboration. We believe that once we embed ethics in our practices, we will be in a position to imbibe our students with those values to be able to contribute their quota to lifting the country from its current ethical degradation. This will largely enhance our image and thereby making the University College not only attractive to prospective students but also prospective donors and grants-funders.
Rev. Chairperson, we have been working to ensure that we formalise our relationship with institutions that we have been working with over the years. This is necessary so that we can properly define the parameters of the relationship, reduce the risk of uncertainty in expectations and objectives as well as establish the framework for future dealings. We have, therefore, taken steps in that direction and it is already yielding fruits. For example, this week, that is Monday, 11th May, 2021, to be precise, we have signed an MoU with the University of Education, Winneba to seal a relationship that started four years back with reference to the affiliation of four diploma programmes. We are grateful to the Management of UEW for the support.
We are also in the process of finalising two MoUs with the Pencil of Promise, a non-governmental organisation based in Ho and Amenuveve which is also an NGO located at Woadze Tsatoe in the Volta Region and the USA. Both institutions have been supporting the University College in diverse ways especially serving as training incubators for our students over the years and we are grateful to them.
The University College is currently engaging with the Volta Premier FM of Ho Technical University to sign an MoU with them to support the Campus Broadcasting Centre, staff and also our students reading the ICM courses in journalism. We have also commenced engaging some institutions in Europe to collaborate with them in the areas of staff and student exchange programmes, staff development and research.
Staff development and student welfare
Rev. Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen, we cannot deliver on our mandate as a University College without the requisite, well-resourced and motivated faculty and staff. We are, therefore, working hard to boost staff strength through strategic recruitment and staff capacity building. For example, in the last few months, we have provided training for the staff of the Finance Office on the digitisation of their operations to enhance efficiency. We have also trained some selected staff in the areas of website development and maintenance. I am, therefore, happy to report that issues affecting staff payrolls will soon be history and since last week, we have taken charge of our website and we promise you regular update on our activities.
We will also institute staff awards based on meritocracy and ensure that the working conditions in the offices are improved to enhance work output of faculty and staff. In addition, faculty who apply for promotion will be supported financially in the application process. We will also seek financial support for the publication of research papers produced by faculty and staff of the University College.
With regard to students’ welfare, we will ensure that staff-student relationships are improved through regular Staff-Student Consultative meetings and delivery of efficient services to students by establishing a desk at the Dean of Students’ office, in collaboration with the SRC to attend to their issues timely. We will also ensure that students get a decent place to buy food and eat especially when they are on campus. To this end, we will expedite action on a proposal we received for the construction of a canteen for students.
Communication, Information and Visibility
Rev. Chairperson, one of the areas we need to improve upon as a University College is communication and information flow within the institution and with the outside world. To this end, we have, since my assumption of office three months ago and with the support of the Campus Broadcasting Centre, an SRC initiative, intensified information flow to the public through our media engagements, website publications and social media platforms especially the Facebook page. This, per the feedback we are getting, is enhancing the visibility of EPUC. We are also strengthening the internal structures to ensure effective communication and dissemination of information within the institution.
Infrastructure
The University College faces serious infrastructure deficit that needs urgent attention. For example, office space for lecturers, students’ hostel and a canteen, a conference room, some major works on the existing building of the main campus to prevent rainfall from entering offices and the transformation of the frontage of the main campus are some areas that need immediate attention.
It is worthy to note that the Office of the Physical Development and Estate Management of the University College is currently collaborating closely with the E. P. Church to complete work on the construction of a two-storey modern lecture hall complex at Ho-Kpodzi. The Office is also, among other things, developing models and drawings for Wumenu and Gbleve lands, revamping the institutional Website and working with Prodata Africa to make our ICT infrastructure and especially e-Learning platform more efficient and cost effective. In addition, plans are also underway to seek the needed support to develop our permanent site at Wumenu-Adaklu.
Alumni
Rev. Chairperson, we have not left out our Alumni in our plans for the year and beyond. We have started and will continue working closely with them to bring the Alumni together for a home-coming event this year. We value them; they are our pride. We need them to be able to achieve our mandate as a University College. We will also facilitate the acquisition of transcripts, attestations and other documents by the Alumni from the University College. If that system is put in place, it will be possible for them to apply for and get such services in the comfort of their homes.
Appeal for support
Let me use this singular opportunity to make a passionate and humble appeal to Government through the Minster of Education to intervene urgently to enable the Scholarship Secretariat to disburse to the University College, bursaries awarded to some students of EPUC. This will give a huge relief to Management.
We are equally appealing to individuals and organisations to lend their support to the University College not only in the areas of human capital development and provision of key material equipment to ensure effective and efficient delivery of our programmes but also partner the University College in some commercial agricultural activities like vegetable farming, piggery and fishery.
Rev. Chairperson, the University College has as part of its plans to relocate to its permanent site at Wumenu-Adaklu, very close to the Ho Airport. We, therefore, need support and partnership to put up the requisite infrastructure at the site. This includes an ultramodern administration block, lecture theatres, cafeteria, a library, hostel facilities, offices for faculty and a state-of-the arts ICT infrastructure.
Aside the financial support we need to settle our indebtedness, we urgently need assistance to be able to convert two lectures into a conference room and a Council/Senate Meeting room. This is expected to cost us close to Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 200,000.00).
We are equally appealing to individuals and organisation for scholarship for students at EPUC. To this end, I wish to thank Lawyer Emmanuel Bright Atokoh, Mr. Christopher Ativor and Mr. Azi Ganyo for deciding to offer some scholarships to students beginning next academic year.
Gratitude
On behalf of EPUC Council and Management and on my own behalf, I would like to thank our stakeholders, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church especially the Standing Committee, faculty and staff, Alumni, SRC and our notable sponsors for their financial support and other forms of help they have been giving to the University College. God Bless you.
To the graduands
Rev. Chairperson, let me now turn my attention to our dear graduands. You have attained this height through the dint of hard work characterised by very challenging moments. I know it has been a long and arduous journey. It took so much sacrifice, dedication, many examinations and quizzes to get to the end of this chapter of your journey in life. You have every reason to rejoice and I am excited to be associated with your achievement. Congratulations on your accomplishment!
My dear graduands, you must let the world see the knowledge and training EPUC has imbibed you with. Let the world experience that light because for us in EPUC, our motto is Knowledge is Light. No one lights a kindle and hides it; it must be useful to the world. You must impact the world positively with the values such as Truth, Honesty, Justice, Hard Work, Discipline and Togetherness, values the EPUC has infused you with.
Also, the world is moving at an unprecedented speed in the history of mankind and this comes with a lot of changes and expectations. Information, Communication and Technology is playing a leading role in these global changes. Bachelor degrees no longer guarantee good jobs and so are masters degrees. I urge you not to see this chapter of your life as the end of it all. For you to be relevant in today’s world, you must constantly and regularly update your knowledge, improve upon your professional tasks and think outside the box. Pursue post-graduate studies and take advantage of opportunities available to you.
Remember, you have been prepared and adequately equipped by our hard working and resilient faculty and staff to fit well into society and succeed in any enterprise you undertake. The world belongs to problem solvers; so we are releasing you into the world to help solve problems and not to add to the problems. If you cannot be part of the solution then I plead with you, don’t add to the problem.
Finally, our dear graduands, let me challenge you with what the scriptures say in Matthew 11: 12: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”. This does not mean that you should use physical violence to get what you want. Be bold to take initiatives and well-informed risks. When you go on your knees, pray for challenges and ask God to grant you the strength to overcome them; it is only through challenges that you can realise your full potentials. So do not run away from challenges. Also, I encourage you to live your lives with passion and reasonable enjoyment, regardless of the circumstances. Never give up the pursuit of truth and justice and never, above all, accept the status quo without interrogating it. Be the change you want to see.
Rev. Chairperson and my dear Moderator of the General Assembly of the E. P. Church, with your kind permission, let me usurp part your authority as men of God to bless and prophesy into the lives of the graduands.
Whatever you do shall be blessed! Whatever you lay your hands on shall prosper! You shall carry this knowledge imparted in you and the world shall hear your name. My dear graduands, I prophesy excellence in whatever you shall do. As the good Lord saw you through your various programmes, so, shall He see you through your journey in life. Go and continually stay in the peace of the Lord. Celebrate this day and walk in the power of God.
I applaud you once more on your success.
Thank you.
Long Live EPUC!
Long Live EPCG!!
Long Live Ghana!!!