I left UPSA GHC16m on my retired – Prof. Alabi

Prof Alabi said he took a loan with the permission of the board. They were able to payback all the loans and by the time he was leaving the school had GHC16m in its account.

In an interview on Accra-based Asempa FM, Prof Alabi said the school had infrastructure challenges when he took over causing students to study under trees and shed.

He also added that the school’s campus in the past usually got flooded anytime it rained, but said with good leadership skills, he was able to turn things around at the school from a deplorable state to an enviable status.

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“When I took over, students at the school attended lectures under trees and sheds. We could not go for lectures when it rained. The campus also got flooded when it rained.”

Prof Alabi said he was granted permission by the board to go for bank loans but only one bank offered him the money needed at the time.

“When I wanted to develop the school, my council agreed that we should apply for a loan from the banks. It was very difficult. So we wanted to engage the banks on build operate and transfer basis. The only bank that helped us was Intercontinental bank [now Access bank]. We didn’t even have money to by A4 sheets… they gave us GHc50, 000. When the bank completed the project, one year after handing over we were able to pay back the loan. We admitted more students because we had a lecture hall that could take 6,000 students. We started another project, the auditorium.”

Prof Alabi said he had the dream of turning the school which was once called Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) into a world-class university.

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“…By the time I finished my work at the school and went on retirement, I had paid all the debts of all the projects which I constructed and I left at the bank, GHc16 million for the school. It wasn’t a loan; it was the saving I made for the school for other projects to take off.”

Others have called for the school to be named after Prof Alabi considering the work he has done in the school.

But the Prof. Alabi said the naming the school after him was not necessary.

“On concerns about naming the university after me, that is not why I went to the school. My work at the school was out of passion and the fact that I wanted to succeed.”

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