Sumbrungu (U/E), July 28, GNA - A total number of 199 graduates who completed their Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes during the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 academic years at the Bolgatanga Polytechnic were awarded certificates at the polytechnic's maiden congregation held at Sumbrungu on Saturday. The polytechnic, one of the youngest, admitted its first batch of students in September 2003.

Chairman of the Interim Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Professor Anabila Alemna, said the polytechnic initially faced challenges including recruitment of staff, lack of accommodation and lecture halls and it affected its ability to be accredited to offer certain programmes but with time things. He commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), the National Council for tertiary Education(NCTE), the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination (NABPTEXT) and the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for their contribution to the development of the polytechnic.

Prof Alemna appealed to the government to remain committed to the implementation of the recently approved enhanced allowances of polytechnic teachers and to improve upon their conditions of service to attract and retain staff. He mentioned inadequate water supply to the polytechnic as one of the major challenges facing it and appealed to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to provide the school with a water tanker whilst efforts are made to find a permanent solution to the problem. He appealed to the GETfund to consider providing the polytechnic with an auditorium.

Professor Paul B Tanzubil, the Rector of the Polytechnic, said many of the lecturers leave for other tertiary institutions where conditions of service are better and appealed to the government to adopt a wage policy system where people with the same qualifications doing similar jobs receive the same remuneration. "Until this is done, I am afraid the Polytechnics would continue to train staff for poaching by other tertiary institutions", he said. Mr. Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minster, said with the discovery of oil, Ghana would need about 7,000 technicians to work in the oil industry and urged polytechnics to fashion out programmes that would turn people to man the oil industry to prevent foreign technicians from invading the oil industry.