STUDENTS ARE AGENTS OF CHANGE — OKYENHENE (PAGE 17, OCT 16)

The Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, has advised students of the country’s universities to see themselves as agents of change in the social economic development of the country.
He has therefore urged students to disabuse the notion that education is meant solely to prepare them as tools for hiring.
Osagyefo Amotia made the remarks at a symposium organised at the University of Ghana to launch the 10th anniversary celebrations of his ascendncy to the Ofori Panin Stool and activities to herald the establishment of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Studies at Bunso in the Eastern Region.
He said even though prospective students of the university could match any student elsewhere in the developed countries, their first aim would be to turn out students that were self-reliant and could depend on their skills to generate employment for themselves.
He called on the students not to be afraid of changing the old ways of doing things since without risks, they could not start their own businesses and create jobs for the less fortunate ones.
He explained that the focus of the university was to empower Ghanaians to create wealth and use their capital to create jobs.
The Okyenhene urged students to stop having doubts in themselves, study hard and venture into the field of computer engineering and environmental science, which were capturing centre stage in the information age the global village.
The Okyenhene said the University of Agriculture and Environmental Studies was a purely private initiative spearheaded by the Abuakwa Traditional Area to supplement effort of the government in the area of science.
He explained that the university, which would focus on science, would provide timely research findings for farmers to crop their lands in the era of climate change, which could have profound implications for agriculture world-wide.
Professor Yaa Ntiamoah-Badu of the School of Research and Graduate Studies of the University of Ghana, who delivered a paper at the symposium on theme: “Sustainable Environment for Quality Life” called on the university to cut a notch for itself in agricultural and environmental studies and not toe the line of the old universities in the country.
She urged the university to explore potential areas such as the oil and gas industries by coming up with up-to-date research work to aid the development of the industry, especially its environmental impact on the country.
She said even though Ghana was an agricultural country, it was a net importer of various food items because the sector had been neglected by the universities and previous governments.
She said the new university had the opportunity to change the mindset of Ghanaians and the government that they were capable of achieving food security for themselves.
Prof. Ntiamoah-Badu noted that farmers could be empowered by research from the new university to change their old agricultural practice and adopt new sustainable ways to help increase food production for both domestic consumption, as well as for export, to earn foreign exchange for the country.