The University of Ghana has inducted Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu as the new Vice-Chancellor, becoming the 12th Executive Head of the University of Ghana. Prof. Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah presided over the ceremony on behalf of the Chancellor, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan.
In his Induction Address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Council of the University of Ghana for the confidence reposed in him to lead the University to greater heights over the next four years. He acknowledged those who had also contested for the position of Vice-Chancellor, adding that it was his hope that they, together with the entire University community would support him to improve the fortunes of the University of Ghana.
Sharing his vision for the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu identified five pillars. First, the commitment to position the University of Ghana as a world class ‘Go To University’; secondly, making the University relevant to national developmental needs; thirdly, beating competition through world class effective virtual capacity; fourthly, priority setting to guide alignment of budgets; and enforcing discipline, integrity, transparency and accountability at all levels within the University of Ghana community.
He proposed strategies to address challenges of funding the University’s physical development and research undertakings. He mentioned the need to diversify funding sources and increase internally generated funds (IGF); ensure prudent management of financial resources from government, donor support and grants; ensure prudent debt utilization and management, as well as implement collaborative ventures in enterprise and innovation.
Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu put forward an initiative dubbed “Vice-Chancellor’s Green Project”. The Project he said, would form part of the University’s commitment to lead in climate change adaptation and mitigation by building low-carbon and climate-sensitive infrastructure on all three campuses, while implementing environmental sanitization such as cleanliness and good waste disposal practices led by students and faculty.
He assured the University community of his commitment to providing strategic leadership and guidance to Management, staff and students to ensure that the University of Ghana maintains its academic excellence, improves its rankings on the continent and globally in all categories, and contribute immensely towards shaping the national development effort.
Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu shared the importance of implementing a transformational agenda which he codenamed “RINER”, an acronym for Relevance, Innovation, Excellence, and Resource mobilization. He said these four pillars would make it imperative for stakeholders within the University to have a sense of institutional ownership, respect the University’s governance system, make the application of the University’s overall governance architecture more predictable and advancing the mission and vision of the University towards becoming a top-notch “Go to” University.
In separate congratulatory messages, Prof. Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, and the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, both wished the new Vice-Chancellor, well and encouraged him to be committed to his vision for the University. They entreated the University Management and the entire University community to rally by the new Vice-Chancellor to lead the University towards attaining greater heights.
Earlier, there was a symbolic handing over ceremony between the immediate past Vice Chancellor and the new Vice Chancellor, after which Justice Prof. S.K. Date-Bah administered the Oath of Office to Prof. Oduro Owusu. There were performances by the Ghana Dance Ensemble and the University of Ghana Jubilee Choir, and a Seperewa performance to herald Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu’s induction to office.
Present at the Induction ceremony were Ministers of State, religious and traditional leaders, officials of the University, members of the University community, family members of the Vice-Chancellor, and the general public.
