Prof. Adei: Education sector in Africa has no goal

The Former Rector at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof. Stephen Adei has said, the absence of African universities on the world’s top 200 universities’ list, is due to lack of long-term effective education policies in African states and the continent as a whole.

The League table was made up of mainly UK and US universities in the first 100 top universities.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is number one, Harvard University is second, and Stanford University third.

The famous Cambridge University in UK placed 19th, Yale University placed 38th, and Oxford University was 41st.
But Prof. Adeisaid the African continent does not have a specific goal for its education sector and this has led to the slow pace of education on the continent.

Prof Adei noted that African universities do not make enough use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) so they are not competitive on the international stage.

He explains that the low quality of teachers and recycling of notes for students is one of the few factors that hinder African universities from being competitive.

‘There are 4.5 million students in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. In terms of higher education league tables, these students are more or less invisible and cannot compete due to the lack of educational policy ’, the former Rector of GIMPA stated.

Thandika Mkandawire, Professor of African Development at the London School of Economics told the BBC that African universities are still trying to recover from a loss of funding that began in the 1980s, when resources were switched to primary education.

And while other parts of the world invested in higher education, African universities missed out on an entire cycle of growth, he added.

"Once you destroy a university, it's very difficult to rebuild," he said.
Meanwhile, on the top 100 African universities list, South Africa dominated the first 10 top universities as the University of Cape Town placed first and University of Cairo 10th.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology place was 18th on the list, which makes it first in West Africa, followed closely by University of Ilorin, Dakar University place third and the University of Ghana placed 4th in the sub-regional grading.

Story: Samuel Mantey/ Adom news

Health minister blames cholera deaths on heavy rains

The Minister of Health, Joseph Yieleh Chiereh has blamed the recent cholera outbreak which has claimed 61 lives, on recent heavy downpours in the country.

Mr. Yieleh Chiereh told Adom News that the heavy rains have led to flooding which have contaminated many water bodies thereby spreading the disease especially in Accra.

The health minister also blamed the bad practice of dumping liquid human waste in water bodies saying it contributed to the spread of the epidemic.

The Minister was speaking in reaction to the increase in cholera cases which has recorded 61 deaths since January with 6,000 others hospitalized nationwide.

Mr. Yieleh Chireh said the Interior Ministry in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation is tracking the cholera endemic areas in the country to provide the needed health support.

These challenges notwithstanding, the ministry is working with other organizations to intensify public education, he added.

He stressed that government has been working hard to provide health care to those affected by the outbreak.

He revealed plans to tour some of the affected communities to have firsthand information on the situation.

He said his outfit will embark on a comprehensive education and media outreach programme to educate people on the incidence of cholera, the mode of transmission and its prevention.


Story: Samuel Mantey/Adom News

Equip footsoldiers with skills - K.B. Asante

Renowned diplomat and statesman K.B. Asante has urged Political Parties to offer training opportunities to foot soldiers in order for them to help in the national development agenda.

K.B. Asante who served in Dr. Kwame Nkruma's administration said it will be a good idea to temporally task the so-called foot soldiers to fill potholes on the streets so as to discourage them from the unnecessary seizure of toilets and state properties.

“Afterall, our roads are full of pot-holes so we can ask them to go and dig and patch them up, it may be a good idea to do that”, Mr. Asante stated in an interview with Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Adom Fm’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday.

He said though the National Youth Employment Programme and the upcoming STX construction projects will employ a number of people, they may not be enough to channel the energies of the foot soldiers for the promotion of national employment.

He emphasized the need for foot soldiers to be part of national planning, for the development of the country.

“Special attention is needed for these foot soldiers for them to feel appreciated especially when their party wins power”, he added.

The career diplomat recalled the days of Veranda boys in the Nkrumah era, where party enthusiasts volunteer to work for the party by performing organizational duties without remuneration.

He said when the CPP won the elections, the foot soldiers, then known as Veranda boys, were appreciated by government by awarding them with contracts as well as enhancing their skills for employment.

“The skills development project eventually established the Young Pioneers,” he said.

K.B. Asante emphasized that if the foot soldiers are not provided with any form of employment, they tend to destruct the development agenda of the government.

He therefore urged political parties to find a means to secure jobs for the foot soldiers so that the government can focus on issues of the state.



Story by Samuel Mantey/Adom News/Ghana