The Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region, on Wednesday, 17th November, 2021, held its 9th Congregation. It was Virtual and took place at the Library Complex of the University.
At the ceremony, the University conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees and Higher National Diplomas on a total of 324 graduates of the 2020 year batch – 185 male and 139 female. 44 of them obtained 1st Class.
In a short welcome address, the Council Chairman of the University, Prof. Francis A. Abantanga, welcomed members of the congregation and reminded them about issues of COVID-19. He called on them to avail themselves for the vaccines as well as religiously stick to all the protocols on the prevention of COVID-19.
He also expressed appreciation to the Government of His Excellency, President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo and all appellate institutions for continuously supporting the University to enable it compete favourably with its peers. He urged faculty to work effectively and committedly in order to justify the conversion and to make BTU the first choice Institution for Ghanaians who want technical university education and in the sub-region. He particularly advised the graduating students to remain law-abiding citizens and to lead their communities into beneficial ventures devoid of underhand dealings and conflicts.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, reported to the Congregation that five (5) new market-driven programmes (HND in Banking and Finance, Automobile Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Medical Laboratory Technology, and Mechanical Engineering) were mounted to broaden the academic sphere, to enhance the University’s status and relevance in corporate-academia. He added that the University had also introduced four-year degree and top-up programmes (BTech) in most of its programmes and was on course to introducing master of technology programmes in consolidating the University’s ambition to become a preferred tertiary institution and a technology village.
He appealed to government for additional infrastructure in the areas of a lecture hall theatre complex and staff accommodation which are contingent for the smooth running of every academic institution and to enable the University mitigate its current lecture room space deficit. He thanked the government of His Excellency, President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo for the financial clearance to employ new staff which has increased the staff numbers and capacity of the University.
Prof. Samuel Alnaa urged the graduating students not to become complacent or give up when they are faced with difficulties but rather use their entrepreneurial skills and training to face the difficulties head-on. He noted that hard work, perseverance and dedication pay in life.
The University in collaboration with the Alumni Association awarded prizes to graduates who excelled in their fields of study. Out of the many prizes ranging from best performing graduating student of the various departments to best performing graduating student of each of the three schools, Miss Achaab Matilda emerged as the best over-all female performing graduating student and the over-all best performing graduate of the 2020 batch. She received a citation and an undisclosed amount from the Chairman of Council of the University.
The ceremony was attended by the University’s Governing Council, Principal Officers, Deans, Directors, Heads of Department and first class graduands of the 2020 batch including Registrars and Directors of Finance of sister Technical Universities and officers of some state investigative departments.