Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has inaugurated a 12-member Governing Council for the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).

The Council is under the Chairmanship of Professor Kwame Osei-Boateng, the Director of the Institute of Distance Education, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The members include Prof Emmanuel Afoakwa, Acting President, GTUC; Mr Samuel Siglah and Madam Nusrat-Jahan Abubakar, representatives of GTUC Academic and Non-Academic staff respectively; and Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Twum, GTUC Students’ Representative Council President.

The rest are Dr Samuel Somuah, Mr Kwabena Afum-Dankwa, Mrs Alice Quarshie, Dr Ezer Osei Yeboah Boateng, Michael Quarshie, Madam Irene Osei Bonsu and Madam Afua Asabea Asare.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful congratulated the members of the new GTUC Council on their appointment and tasked them to create a congenial atmosphere for teaching and learning to take place at the University.

She also congratulated the members of the immediate past GTUC Interim Council for stirring the affairs of the University until the enabling legislation was completed.

She expressed the hope that by this time next year the GTUC legislation process would have been completed.

The Minister reiterated the fact that nothing we do in this world currently could succeed without the influence of information and communications technology

“You are at the forefront of providing us with the human resources that we need to grow this economy that we embark on. And it is of utmost importance that we create a conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place on the GTUC campus,” she said.

“So you can have uninterrupted academic work. And I have no doubt that if we all work together and reposition this organisation and enable it to take it rightful place within this country it can be one of the key pillars of growth that we can use as we embark upon digitisation of our country.”

Mr Owusu-Ekuful said: “And if we have demonstrated anything at all since this government came into power, it is clear that we really do take technology, digitalisation and moving into a more automated environment very seriously.”

“And are keen to increase uptake of technology at all level in all spheres of our endeavour but one of the major challenges that is faced globally is the lack adequate human resources with the right skills in the workplace to grow this space and that is where the GTUC comes in. And so you are very critical to the plans of this administration and that is why we have taken a particular interest in you.”

She said GTUC Council is faced with daunting challenges but she has no doubt that with proper governance structure in place they would be able to overcome those challenges, which would enable the University to take its rightful place in society.

“We need to close the digital gaps in this country. We have major challenges in this respect we are working toward closing that infrastructure gap and so rural telephony is one of the key priorities of this government,” she said.

“We are determined to scale up to free education we need you to assist us to train the teachers who will be implementing the various new curricula and systems we would be introducing through electronic education methods,” she added.

Prof Osei-Boateng, on behalf of the GTUC Council, expressed his gratitude to the President for the confidence reposed in them.

He said the Council would work hard to ensure that next year by this time the GTUC would become a full-fledged University.

The inauguration was witnessed by Mr Vincent Sowah Odotei, Deputy Minister of Communications and Prof Isaac Abeku Blankson, Vice President of GTUC.