Abetifi, March 28, GNA - The Omanhene of the Kwahu Traditional area Dasebre Akuamoah Boateng II has called on Kwahu citizens to take advantage of the sitting of one of the campuses of the Presbyterian University College (PUC) of Education at Abetifi and enrolled their children at the University. He also urged the business minded Kwahu community to make effective use of the modern facility the University had brought to the area to enhance the socio-economic development of the area.

Dasebre Boateng was speaking at the inauguration of the PUC at Abetifi on Saturday. He advised citizens from the area to contribute generously towards the running of the University for them to derive the maximum benefit from it. The Omanhene said the chiefs in the area and the local implementation committee had contributed 200 million cedis towards the establishment of the University while the chiefs of Abetifi, Aduamoah, Nkwatia, Mpraeso, Kwahu Tafo and Nteso had released about 148 hectares of land worth billions of cedis to the University.

The Chairman of the University Council, Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe said the University would be a multi-campus one with its first campus at Abetifi and others to be established later at Akwapim Akropong and Asante Akyem Agogo to stimulate and accelerate development in the rural areas. He said the PUC was open to all students and staff without discrimination on the basis of religion, race, ethnic origin or gender and a fee paying institution with a mechanism yet to be established to promote sponsorship for needy students.

The Chairman of the PUC Council said the University initially had two faculties, namely Business Administration and Information and Communication and Technology at the Abetifi campus for non-residential students and staff but the development of hostel and staff housing through private enterprise would be encouraged and promoted. He said Science and Technology, Agriculture, Humanities, Languages, Theology Mission Studies, Health Science such as nursing, public health and medicine faculties would gradually be established.

Professor Bekoe commended the government for its tremendous assistance to upgrade infrastructure like roads, telephones, electricity and water to enhance the living standard of students and staff at the University Campus. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Reverend Dr Sam Prempeh inducted Professor Kofi Sraku-Lartey as the Principal of the University. President John Agyekum Kufuor later inaugurated a 2.3 billion cedi telephone exchange for the University to enhance its ICT programme.