Nyankpala (NR), Oct. 12, GNA -The University for Development Students (UDS), on Thursday commended the government and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for the provision of infrastructure to uplift the image of the University.

Professor John Kaburise, the Vice-Chancellor, who made the commendation on behalf of the University, said: "In total, GETFund support for the UDS between 2002 and 2005 amounted to about 115.4 billion cedis for the expansion of physical structures at the University.

"The provision of these facilities have made tertiary education more accessible to the people of Northern Ghana and there is the need to commend both the government and the GETFUND for making this to happen". Prof. Kaburise made the commendation when he addressed the 14th matriculation of 472 fresh men and women admitted to pursue various courses at the Nyankpala campus.

The university this year, admitted 2,640 students to run various courses in the three campuses at Nyankpala, Navrongo and Wa as against 1,723 students admitted last academic year, an increase of about 27 per cent.

The Vice-Chancellor said through the support of the GETFund, female students at the Navrongo campus had been provided with a decent hostel while the Fund had also funded the construction of a multi-purpose building, which was now being used as a library.

He said the construction of a French Language Centre and an Internet Cafe were also on course and expressed the hope that they would be completed very soon to ease the spatial problems of the Navrongo campus.

He also mentioned the building of two-storey hostels for the "CAN 2008" soccer fiesta to accommodate 448 people on UDS land, adding that the facility would be handed over to the University after the soccer event to help address the students' accommodation problem.

Prof. Kaburise said the development at the Wa campus was equally impressive while projects under the GETFund and the extension of water to the campus in Tamale were quite encouraging. The Vice Chancellor advised the fresh students to remain focused on their fields of study and should not indulge in examination malpractices to dent the image of the University.

He emphasised on the importance of the UDS's third trimester programme, which mandated the University to send out students from all the faculties to the communities to holistically comprehend and analyse development challenges facing those communities.

He warned that any student who failed to participate in the programme would not be given a certificate at the end of the course and entreated all the fresh students to attach more importance to it. Prof. Kaburise stressed that UDS was established to offer courses in all fields of development so as to have a greater impact in shaping the minds of Ghanaians and advised the Students Representative Council (SRC) to constantly dialogue with the authorities to enhance teaching and learning.

On health, the Vice-Chancellor urged the students to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), indicating that the University was paying the premiums on behalf of all the students.