The newly built Somanya University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), in Yilo Krobo- municipality of the Eastern Region has admitted 83 pioneering students and has commenced its academy work for the first time since its establishment with a call for a more aggressive push towards the preservation of our environment.
The school authority on Saturday, 23rd January 2021 held a commencement lecture to officially start the academic year, under the theme; Securing the environment-Our Challenge.
Addressing the colourful occasion, the guest speaker, Prof. Alfred Oteng-Yeboah (Department of Botany, University of Ghana) reminded the universities to make their programmes relevant to the country.
He commended the government of Ghana for establishing the university and providing it with the basic infrastructure to enable it to take off and respond to the needs of Ghanaians as the country rolls out plans, programmes and projects that fully cement the ideals of sustainable development as the focus for national environmental security.
He averred that the name and focus of the university have been crafted to reflect global efforts supported by national actions, to tackle head-on the three global issues confronting humanity; namely the effect of climate change, land degradation and loss of biological diversity within the 2030 global agenda.
He also congratulated the pioneering council of the University, that’s the chairman, Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and other supporting staff for the hard work in preparing the university to commence academic work.
He again recognized the first-year students and congratulated them for their admission into the programmes being offered and wish them well during their stay in the university.
He believes that being pioneers, they are likely to face very many challenging moments, and added that they will learn from these to sharpen their skills and align these into a future of prosperity.
Prof Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, speaking on the theme; Securing the environment-Our Challenge, said that without the right attitude as a prerequisite in service for national development, the challenge to secure the environment will be a mirage.
He said, it is our positive attitude to those natural bodies of our world, which constitute our environment including water, soils, air and their composite element and which collectively sustain life, that must be secured.
The deputy director-general of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Dr Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai as the guest of honour of the program, averred that a country where the order of the day is one of the blocked drains, flooding, open defecation, inappropriate disposal of waste, lack of a recycling culture, and many accompanying diseases such as malaria and cholera, definitely is challenged when it comes to its environment, and it is on this note that the vision, mission, and mandate of UESD in the environmental developmental agenda of this nation cannot and should not be underestimated.
He said every Ghanaian no matter your stature or level of education should have some basic knowledge in environmentally sustainable development, pursuant to securing our environment.
The council chairman of the school, Prof. J.N Ayertey on his part commended the government of Ghana for the immeasurable efforts to bring the institution to this level. He again appealed for continual support, especially in the areas of infrastructure development and other logistics. He also urged other stakeholders and benevolent societies to come on board for the successful growth of the institution.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson indicated that the students were only admitted into the institution based on merit.
He, therefore, asked the students to be focused and work hard to live their dreams.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Evans Boateng
