Eastern University: What NDC Couldn’t Do In 8years, Nana Addo Has Done In 3 Years – NPP Krobo Bloc

Listen to this article Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Even as the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC vehemently want the general public to consider and accept that the University of Environment for Sustainable Development is one of the achievements of NDC, the Krobo bloc of the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP have come out to counter the NDC release to claim the achievement.

In a release from the NPP bloc ahead of President Akufo-Addo commissioning the first phase of the Eastern University, the party revealed how the NDC from 2009 to 2016 included in their budget to build the university but could not even start.

“The Eastern University was captured in 2009 budget statement – No show. Was captured in 2010 budget-No show. Was captured in 2011 budget-No show. Was captured in 2012 budget-No show. Was captured in 2013 budget-no show. Was captured in 2014 budget – No show. Was captured in 2015 budget – No show. Was captured in 2016 budget – No show. But under Nana Addo in 3yrs this project has seen start and completion. With the second phase to start immediately.” – the statement read.

However the few revelations below were not exempted from the press statement;

1. The framework agreement signed between the Government of Ghana and Exim Bank of South Korea for the construction of the university stated specifically that the university’s four faculties would be sited in Somanya. Indeed, prior to this, Donkorkrom had been considered as a site by the bank at the suggestion of the previous government and rejected. 

2. The previous government reneged on this agreement by bringing in a contractor from Brazil to do the work Exim Bank had been contracted to do. Exim Bank protested strongly against the breach of faith and decided to abandon the project as it did not intend to share the site with the Brazilian contractor. 

3. Exim Bank requested another site for a campus of the university, failing which it would pull out of the project altogether. Eventually, it settled on the Bunso Agricultural College as the nucleus of another campus of the university, and on agreement with government, moved to commence work there.

4. In its handover notes during the transition, the previous government did not mention Donkorkrom as a prospective site, clearly because there had been no agreement to site a university campus there. Indeed, on page 21 of the handing over notes, it is stated;

5. Following the enactment of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development Act 2015(Act 898) Parliament has approved a loan facility of Forty-Five Million Five Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Euros (€45,575,000.00) for the establishment of the proposed University at Somanya in the Eastern Region.

6. The University of Environment and Development Studies (UEDS), like all public projects, is a national one. 

7. It must be stated for the avoidance of doubt that in making decisions on project siting and the disbursement of public funds in this country, the government under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo is solely guided by the public interest above everything else. This is the only way to build a fair, equitable and prosperous country.

Again, the NPP Krobo bloc expressed their gratitude to the previous government for ensuring the enactment of the UESD Act . However, the NPP Krobo bloc revealed that they would not forget the story that led to the start and completion of the university, the lies perpetuated by the NDC that Nana Addo’s government will never construct the university. The lies of the the NDC that, the university, including it key installations has been moved to kyebi.

Moreover, the release said it will pardon them (NDC) for how clueless they are on issues of enactments and the steps it takes for a University to be established. 

As the University for Environment and Sustainable Development, UESD is commissioned today by H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also see the start of the second phase It acknowledged that it is only NPP that is has taken the development of kloma as its major priority, the evidence is the University of Environment and Sustainable Development.

“For years NDC has won the seat of kroboland yet we have not seen any monumental project by them to the people of kroboland”. – the statement maintained.

By: Nana Gyasi | Radio 1 | Ghana