Koforidua, Sept 2, GNA - All senior secondary schools in the New-Juaben Traditional Area are to be connected to an intranet system funded by the World Bank to enhance the standard of Information Communication Technology (ICT) education in the area.

A World Bank team would soon arrive in the area to prepare a project document for the take-off of the project.

The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Prof Oti Boateng, said this on Wednesday at the Second Commencement Ceremony of the 2004/2005 academic year of the All Nations University (ANU) at Koforidua.

He noted with concern the low intake of the New Juaben citizens and residents into the ANU and asked the management of the university to collaborate with the New Juaben Development Board to address the problem to ensure that citizens of the area benefited from the facility.

Daasebre Oti Boateng, who said the traditional authorities wanted to identify themselves with the challenges and achievements of the university, would seek collaboration with the ANU in the fields of human resource development, ICT and policy research.

He referred to the high increase of intake of students from last academic year's 267 to 450 this academic year and noted that with such rate of intake, the university could be ranked among the fastest growing universities in the country.

''I hope it will continue to grow in academic attainments to become one of the finest private universities in the country and Africa.'' The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Akwasi Adjei Boateng, said the establishment of the university in the area would play a significant role in the human resource development base in the municipality's development agenda.

He called on the students to take advantage of their admission to positively fashion out their future lives and cautioned them against taking the law into their own hands to cause damage to the properties of the university.

The MCE assured the management of the ANU the assembly's support in the development of the institution to attain international repute.

The President of the ANU, Rev. Dr Samuel Donkor, said the university was opening a Women's Development Centre to help train women in the municipality in entrepreneurial skills and numbers.

He said a new department had also been created to prepare students adequately for university level work, especially women, to help them obtain the entry requirements of the university to help minimize the gender inequality in the system.

The President said to show the university's commitment to the cause of women, it had appointed a woman as its vice-president, the only woman in such a position in the country.

Rev Dr Donkor said since the inception of the university the socio-economic development of the municipality had improved and urged the Municipal Assembly to continue to support the university to meet the needs of the residents of the municipality and the country.

He said the ANU was launching a certificate course in ICT, which would also enable workers to upgrade their skills by pursuing a degree course in future.

The President said the National Accreditation Board had accredited the university's bible studies programme.