The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Chiefs, and the People of the Yilo Krobo area have expressed disappointment in President Akufo-Addo for failing to construct Phase II of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Somanya.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Chiefs and People of the Krobo have noted with shock, the complete neglect of the second phase of the Eastern University Project which was due to begin immediately the President, Nana Akuffo Addo cut sod for same on 5th August 2020.
Today, 5th August 2021 marks exactly a year after the sod cutting, after having commissioned the first phase which began under the tenure of the former president, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. It would be recalled that funding arrangement thus, the loan agreement was completed under the John Mahama led NDC which culminated in the eventful and colorful sod cutting of the Project before the exit of the NDC government at the 2016 polls”.
A statement issued by Emmanuel Akumatey Okrah, Yilo Constituency Communication Officer for the NDC further said “The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) is the first of its kind in the country tasked with the mandate of providing Higher Education, Research and dissemination of knowledge on matters of Sustainable Development, the Protection of the Environment and a focus on the development of Agri-business, gifted to the people of the Eastern region by the erstwhile NDC administration
The Chiefs and people of the Krobo area are scandalized, therefore, that after the funfair and the media hype that characterized the commissioning of the first phase, Phase II of the project remains unattended to and neglected even after Parliamentary loan approval for the project to begin”
They continued that the “unfortunate development, is lending confirmation to the alleged diversion of funds meant for the construction of the second phase, to put up another University at Bunso, the President’s hometown, after completely swerving the people of Donkorkrom of a satellite campus meant for the area as part of the initial plan.
It would also be recalled that the John Mahama government had designated the main campus to be situated in Somanya and a satellite campus for Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains area in fulfillment of the NDC’s commitment to establishing a public University in the Eastern Region”.
The NDC said the lawless development of diverting funds that have been earmarked for a project at a particular location to another place for political expediency should not be condoned.
“As we had always indicated, the initial €45million which was contracted by the John Mahama administration was to cater for the first phase and another €90 million was to come in to complete the second phase, as well as commence the Donkorkrom safelight campus. But for the unfortunate diversion of funds, both the second phase and the satellite campuses should have been at far advanced stages by now. If Ghanaians would recall, the NDC in the Krobo area raised a red flag to the effect that, the funding for the second phase had been diverted before the president commissioned the first phase and questioned the President’s motive for the sod cut of the second phase knowing fully well that, there was no funding arrangement in place as the funding had been diverted”.
Furthermore, the president Nana Akufo-Addo announced a contract sum of €49,891, 098 meant for the Second phase instead of the €90 million which was designated for completion of same, comprising the provision of additional lecture halls, Main library, laboratory, football pitch, handball/basketball courts, badminton court, tennis ball court, and a tartan track, as well as the construction of Donkorkrom satellite campus”.
The statement concluded that “We are of the view that, the Nation’s resources must be put to the use assigned for and that, we cannot allow the status quo to prevail under the circumstances within which we find ourselves currently.
We are therefore calling on the government to immediately release funds to commence the second phase of the project as has been the plan so that the University can upscale its facilities and increase intake as well as complement existing structures in the school. As we celebrate in dismay, a full year of no work done after the sod-cut, the Chiefs and people of the Krobo area are highly expectant that work begins immediately on the second phase of the University”.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
