Tamale, May 15, GNA - The Alumni Association of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has called on the Government to fulfil its 2008 manifesto promise of allocating funds to support the infrastructural needs of the School.

"We cannot but remind Government about what has been stated in the 2008 manifesto of the NDC (National Democratic Congress) about our dear University on making a special allocation from the Ghana Education Trust Fund for the accelerated development of the UDS," the Association said. Mr Felix Kofi Abagale, President of the Alumni was addressing the second National Delegates' Congress of the Association in Tamale on Saturday, which brought together past students of the University and staff to deliberate on the progress of the academic facility. He said the NDC also expressed commitment in establishing a School of Allied Health Sciences with a campus at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region. "We the Alumni are still waiting to hear favourably from the Government on all these good plans." Mr Abagale however commended President John Evans Atta Mills for being the first sitting President to visit the school and appealed to him to make time to attend the 12th Congregation of the University. He announced that the National Secretariat of the UDS Alumni Association was making frantic efforts to secure financial support to establish a chair in the University for the Study of indigenous and neglected fruit tree species in Northern Ghana. He said the Alumni's efforts had resulted in the drafting of syllabi for the establishment of a Centre for Peace Studies and appealed to stakeholders to ensure a speedy and successful take-off of the project.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Yakubu said alumni associations were vital stakeholders in every university. He urged the Alumni of UDS to develop a close link with the University to facilitate the raising of funds to augment government's dwindling resources to the School. Dr A. B. T. Zakariah, Acting Registrar of UDS said the University had its first batch of 40 students to read BSC in Agriculture Technology in September 30, 1993 without a full complement of lecturers and facilities. The student's population currently stands at 19,210. Dr Zakariah said the University was faced with the problem of lack of lecture rooms and student's accommodation. 15 May 11