A Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okuzedto Ablakwa says Polytechnics play a crucial and useful role in Ghana’s development agenda as relates to the training of middle level human resources.
He said this is part of the reasons why President John Dramani Mahama has chosen polytechnic councils not to craft the requisite policies to achieve the intension of the government but to also strengthen the institutions as a whole to carry out their mandate.
Mr Ablakwa was speaking at the swearing-in of Mr Enoch Teye Mensah as the Chairman of the Accra Polytechnic Council in Accra on Friday.
He said Mr Mensah was selected to serve on account of his proven integrity, unwavering patriotism and sense of duty and expressed the hope that he would bring worthy attributes to bear in the discharge of his responsibility entrusted in him.
Mr Ablakwa said the council of the polytechnic has general control over the efficient management and policies of the polytechnic in line with the polytechnic Act, 2007 (Act 745).
The council is expected to oversee the internal organisation of the polytechnic including the establishment, variation and supervision of academic divisions, departments and facilities of the polytechnic.
“The council is also to determine the overall education mission and programmes for the furtherance, prescribe terms and conditions for admission of a person selected for a course of study organise, appoint the rector and vice, lecturers and other persons to academic and administrative positions and manage the finance and fixed assets of the polytechnic.”
Mr Mensah said: “I will work within the confines of the polytechnic regulation and call for the cooperation of the council to achieve its targeted goals.”
He thanked President John Dramani Mahama for the honour done him and assured him of putting in his rich experience to make the polytechnic achieve its targets.
