Tamale, Feb. 13, GNA - Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Education and Sports has commended the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for establishing a one-billion-cedi Education Endowment Fund for the University for Development Studies (UDS)

He said: "you are indeed a Ghanaian for spreading the benefits of your Educational Endowment Funds across the country."

Mr. Osafo Maafo, who represented President John Agyekum Kufuor, made the commendation at the 5th Congregation of 189 students of the UDS in Tamale on Saturday.

The Education Minister urged Northerners to show keener interest in the development of the University in spite of their political affiliations.

He noted that the development and progress of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions were tied to the development of the university.

He said, for the country to achieve its development goals, serious attention must be given to the development of the educational sector.

Mr. Osafo Maafo noted: " this country will succeed when our education succeeds at all levels, from pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary and as well as life long education".

He said countries all over the world had achieved greater heights of development through the successful development of their educational systems and Ghana must do same at all cost.

The Minister said for Ghana to get its skilled and manpower requirements to meet the challenges of the modern world, tertiary education must be dynamic and responsive to the needs of the country. He therefore, urged the university authorities not lose focus of its vision and mission of doing things in modern ways and being responsive to the basic needs of the national economy.

Mr. Osafo Maafo expressed concern about the fallen standards in the teaching of mathematics and science subjects at school and said the country would not develop without qualified professionals from these areas.

He announced that the government would expand post-graduate training and research in the country's tertiary institutions to serve as a resource for the recruitment of staff for their faculties.

The sector Minister said the government would therefore, provide the necessary assistance to make post-graduate training and research more accessible and relevant to national development.

He advised the graduates to continue to build their knowledge and skills, especially through information and communication technology to remain competitive in the job market.

Mr. Osafo Maafo urged them to stay in the country and take advantage of the opportunities that were emerging from the private sector to run their careers.