The Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye has called on government to lift the recruitment embargo in the public sector.
According to professor Teye, the university continues to be hit by the employment freeze imposed by government because as he put it most its staff are aging and will soon retire.
Professor Teye who was speaking at the closing ceremony of this year’s UDS Africa Leadership Lectures said the university needs a clearence to recruit qualify staff to facilitate the university’s work. This year’s lecture was on the theme: African Development; From Freedom to Union.
On infrastructure, Professor Teye expressed fears that the Tamale Teaching Hospital will soon kick out UDS medical students currently using some of its facilities for lectures.
The UDS vice chancellor called on government to intervene to complete the medical school block which has been abandoned. While calling on government to lift the embargo on employment, professor Teye expressed UDS gratitude to the former president John Dramani Mahama and the NDC government for providing the university with a new magnificent auditorium.
Touching on indiscipline in the society, the UDS vice chancellor described it as the number one enemy of Ghana saying it exists in almost every institution, home and even among road users. He therefore called on religious and traditional leaders to join hands in fighting the vice. The convocation was preceded by an award of second degrees to 216 students and 6 PhD students.
Professor Teye commended the graduates for their hard work in acquiring the degrees. He entreated them to let discipline and objectivity be their guiding principles. “They are essential after graduating, nature your strength of character,”he further advised.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Sa-eed suggested the UDS establish a peace building center to help identify and manage conflict that has bedeviled the region. The region, the minister observed, has a lot of potential and can only be useful to the people if there is peace.
