News
ATU holds ‘Evening with the Vice-Chancellor’
Prof Amevi Acakpovi with the Media and others photos Lizzy Okai
The management of Accra Technical University (ATU) on Tuesday held an event dubbed ‘An evening with the Vice-Chancellor’ at the school’s premises.
It was aimed at sharing insights into recent achievements of the university, update Ghanaians on upcoming projects and innovations and foster a collaborative environment with the media.
It brought together the university’s management, the teaching staff and editors of various media houses.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Amevi Acakpovi (PhD) said the university, since its inception had undergone various phases of transformation.
“I am particularly impressed with the growth in students’ population and programmes offered by the university,” he said.
Prof Acakpovi said despite the successes chalked by the institution, there were some challenges confronting it.
He said the university’s satellite campus at Mpehuasem was faced with encroachment while the access route to the campus was in a deplorable state.
He also mentioned that “the university was in need of extra vehicle and a dedicated laboratory and workshop to support the Curriculum Base Training (CBT) Agenda.”
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of ATU said plans were in place to establish a vibrant graduate school to run both Masters and PhD Programmes, increase access to grants, conduct more impactful applied research with groundbreaking solutions to societal needs.
Prof Acakpovi said the university hopes to improve its language centre to support the delivery of French, Chinese, Twi and Ga languages, increase student accommodation on campus to about 25 per cent while developing hostel and lecture facilities at Mpehuasem to achieve a fully-fledged satellite campus status.
On the relationship between the media and the university, he described it as cordial, adding that “we hope to explore avenues in enhancing collaborative efforts between ATU and the media in the future.”
Giving highlights on the 75th anniversary celebration of the University, the Chairperson of the anniversary Planning Committee, Prof Alice Mensah (PhD) said the celebrations will begin with a launch on February 8, with the CEO lecture series and public lectures.
Other activities to herald the anniversary, she said were, alumni homecoming, debate with four Technical Universities, sports and games, faculty mini exhibition, cooking competition, old school and food bazaar, Vice Chancellor’s conference, anniversary concert, grand exhibition, awards and dinner night and thanksgiving service.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa