President John Dramani Mahama has inspected work on an abandoned multi-complex science laboratory at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Navrongo, with government targeting completion and handover next year.
The project, which started in 2016 but was subsequently abandoned, is among projects identified by the Mahama administration for completion under its programme to revive stalled government investments.
President Mahama inspected the facility on Friday during his tour of the Upper East Region.
He said the government had promised during the 2024 election campaign to undertake a nationwide inventory of abandoned projects and provide funding to complete those considered viable.
According to him, significant taxpayers’ money had already been invested in the projects, making their completion necessary to prevent public resources from being wasted.
“I think that it is important that we complete them and put them to productive use,” he said.
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with the progress of work at the UTAS laboratory and said funding had been secured to enable the project to resume.
He said the completed facility would provide UTAS with the infrastructure required to strengthen teaching and learning in science-based programmes.
Support for UTAS
The President also directed the Roads and Highways Minister and his deputy to consider UTAS’s request for about five kilometres of internal roads to improve access within the university.
He described UTAS as an important institution in Ghana’s drive to produce more engineers, scientists and technology professionals, and pledged continued government support to expand its science and technology programmes.
President Mahama said the government’s ambition was to develop UTAS into a centre of excellence in science and technology.
He further pledged government support for the establishment of a medical school at UTAS, saying Ghana needed to expand its capacity to train doctors.
“We need more universities to train doctors to address our shortage of medical professionals,” he said, adding that increased training capacity could also enable Ghana to produce doctors for other countries.
The renewed investment in UTAS forms part of the government’s broader effort to revive abandoned public projects while expanding infrastructure for science, technology and professional training.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
