President John Dramani Mahama used a stop at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Sokode to address academic staff on the state of ongoing campus construction, laboratory research capacity and long-standing infrastructure gaps, before proceeding to a durbar on the government’s Free Primary Health Care programme as part of his working visit to the Volta Region.
Speaking to staff at the university, the President opened by acknowledging that the flagship project on campus has run over budget, attributing the overrun to delays that pushed completion costs well beyond the original estimate rather than to any deliberate mismanagement.
Mahama told the gathering that had the project been completed on schedule, it would have cost significantly less than it now will, estimating that the final bill could end up running to four or five times the original budget. He framed the delay as a familiar national pattern rather than an isolated failure, while still welcoming the fact that the work is finally nearing completion.
Laboratory Complex Positioned for Pathogen and Vaccine Research
Turning to the university’s academic ambitions, the President said UHAS must establish itself as a centre of excellence in the sub-region, with a strong emphasis on innovation and research.
He highlighted the scale of the new laboratory complex, describing it as among the largest of its kind in the sub-region, and pointed specifically to a laboratory dedicated to pathogen and vaccine research, which he likened to Ghana’s Noguchi Memorial Institute, noting that the university is working closely with the National Vaccine Institute on the initiative.
The President reflected on the irony of that development, recalling that during an earlier term in office, an attempt to conduct a vaccine trial in the Volta Region had been met with fierce public resistance, forcing government researchers to abandon the effort at the time.
“UHAS has the potential to become a centre of excellence in health education and research, and government will continue investing in the infrastructure and facilities needed to realise that vision.”
H. E John Dramani Mahama
He said the university’s willingness to now host pathogen research marked a significant shift from that earlier resistance, one he welcomed given the stakes involved in vaccine development.
Hostels, Lecture Halls and a Library Flagged as Priorities
On the university’s infrastructure needs, the President acknowledged that the Education Minister had already responded to concerns raised by staff, and said he had taken note of the issues himself. He observed that the shortage of student accommodation is a challenge facing almost every public university in the country, noting that hostels allow more students to live on campus and spare them the inconvenience of commuting daily from town.
Alongside hostels, he pointed to the need for a dedicated lecture complex to eventually replace temporary teaching spaces, as well as a library to support the university’s academic work.
He said these needs would be addressed progressively, tied to adjustments the government has made to the Ghana Education Trust Fund, including the removal of its funding cap to allow more resources to flow into the system.
Every funding formula going forward, he said, would capture a priority need for the university, with UHAS’s requirements expected to be substantially met over the next four to five years, a trajectory he linked to the vision of the late Professor John Atta Mills, credited as the university’s founding architect.
Campus Roads Tied to Nearby Bypass Contract
On road access within the university, the President said design work has already been completed for a roadway linked to an ongoing bypass project, and that campus roads are being scoped for full design and construction.
He indicated that once a contractor working on the nearby bypass becomes available, the university’s internal road network would be added to that contractor’s scope, with the assurance that the contractor would not leave the area until all campus roads had been completed.
With the university address concluded, the President’s tour was expected to move on to a durbar centred on the Free Primary Health Care programme, continuing a Volta Region itinerary that has combined project inspections with direct engagement on government’s health and infrastructure commitments.
For UHAS, the coming years will test how quickly the pledged funding formula translates into visible progress on hostels, lecture facilities and campus roads.
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