Utility agencies must abide by Cabinet directive - Education Minister

Prof. Naana Opoku Agyeman said the current national power crisis had brought to the fore the need for public institutions to find ways of managing their energy needs.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, Minister of Education

Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, the Minister of Education has appealed to utility agencies and their supervising ministries to comply with cabinet directive of exempting educational and health institutions from disconnection exercises due to the critical services they offer.

“The assurance I want to give these agencies is that the Ministry of Education is continuing to work hard at resolving root cause of the problems.”

Prof. Opoku Agyeman said the accumulated bill received from all tertiary institutions by the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for the necessary action, adding, “and here, my appeal also goes to the Ministry of Finance to do its best to act expeditiously on the matter.”

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The Minister of Education made the appeal on Saturday at the induction of a new Rector, Professor Reverend Frank Eshun for the Takoradi Polytechnic at the main campus of the school.

Prof. Naana Opoku Agyeman however, said the current national power crisis had brought to the fore the need for public institutions to rethink and find ways of managing their energy needs.

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“As the new Rector, you will need all resources and wisdom that you can commandeer to help in addressing some of these issues, at least, to the extent that it does not affect your institutions,” she added.

She said tertiary education was fast changing and that major adjustments were being made in response to public policy changes and seminal reforms in the education sector.

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The Education Minister said Polytechnics in particular were required to produce critical mass graduates to lead the industrialization efforts of the country.

On the conversion of polytechnics to technical universities, the Education Minister mentioned that the NCTE had already carried out thorough state of readiness assessment and the needed recommendations adding, “the schedules of Polytechnic to make that transition is currently being prepared to form part of the enabling Act soon to be passed by Parliament.”

She therefore urged the management of the Polytechnic to continue to work towards strengthening the teaching and learning environment and infrastructure, in preparation for the conversion.

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Mr. Joseph Emmanuel Ackah, Chairman, Polytechnic Council entreated the new Rector to respect people's views, become transparent and lead in a manner that would inspire confidence.

Credit: GNA

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