By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Kodzobi (V/R), Sept. 08, GNA – Professor Lydia Aziato, Vice Chancellor of the University of Health, and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Wednesday noted that the role of chiefs, as custodians of the land, was evident and crucial in the growth of the university.
“We cannot work in isolation and succeed without our chiefs, who are one of our major stakeholders,” she noted.
Prof. Aziato said this when the management of the university called on Togbe Dzegblade IV, Chief of Adaklu Kodzobi, a community in which the university is sited, to introduce her to him and his elders.
Prof. Aziato, a native of the Volta Region is the first nurse to become a Professor in Ghana and the first nurse to head a University in West Africa.
She has over 70 publications to her credit and more than 1000 citations in renowned academia and research works and is thus the nation’s lead scholar.
The new Vice Chancellor whose investiture took place on August 11, this year and attended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has a large portfolio of several awards and fellowships accrued to her over several years of dedicated service in her academic and professional career.
Prof Aziato said the university, which was only 10 years old, is ranked high both nationally and internationally.
“This success story of the university is due to the effective collaboration of all our stakeholders,” she noted.
The Vice Chancellor lamented the decline in academic performance of students from the region saying, “the Volta Region, which used to produce top men and women of academic brilliance is now lagging behind.”
She gave assurance that she would run an open-door policy and urged all to assist her move the university to the next, and higher level.
Ms. Yaa Amankwa Opuni, the Registrar of the University, assured communities on the periphery of the university that they stood the chance to benefit more from it but noted that only those who qualified to work or admitted to the school would be given top priority.
Togbe Dzegblade was full of praise for Prof. Aziato on her appointment and assured her that he and his elders would support her and her administration.
He said work on the eastern road of the university, which passed through the community, had stalled for about eight years now.
He added: The road is so deplorable that it needs urgent attention; so, I am appealing to government to re-award it.”
He asked the Vice Chancellor to prompt the University Teachers Association of Ghana branch of the university to develop the land they acquired from him to help open the area.
Prof. Aziato took over from Prof John Gyapong.
Prof. Aziato’s entourage included Mrs. Maria Gwira, Director of Public Affair; Mr. Hubert Mawuli Yevu-Agbi, Assistant Registrar, Public Affairs Directorate; Mr. Baffour Gyem Darkwa, Assistant Registrar, Public Affairs Directorate and Mr. Ofoe Gator Kugblenu, Chief Protocol Officer, Public Affairs Directorate, all the University.
GNA