FIX THE CAMPUS! KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY; STUDENTS AGITATED OVER FAULTY MICROPHONES, SPEAKERS, PROJECTORS, CLOSURE OF ENTRANCE AND POOR SANITATION IN WASHROOMS.

Students of Koforidua Technical University have recently expressed concerns about the poor state of learning materials and have registered displeasure in how they struggle to use some facilities in the school. This is as a result of frustration after constantly channelling their grievances through the SRC. In a recent Open Forum, the President of the council told the representatives that matters regarding learning materials in the class rooms have been advocated for and hence we should expect actions soon. School will reopen in some weeks to come but nothing has been heard. Are we going to commence a new semester with this existing problems? Below are deliberations of some persisting problems.

To begin with, one of the existing problems in the class room is projectors with poor lumens. Projectors are used to visually assist lectures with graphical representation of the lesson being taught, and diagrams from slides are being projected and explained without students viewing from notes and phones for active participation and concentration. The reason for installation of these projectors is now tilted because of how faulty they are. In as much as some are faulty, other lecture rooms do not have at all example; FBMS Theatre and some lecture halls at CCB.

Again, faulty Public Address System makes audibility difficult in the lecture halls, students population keeps increasing, some class size after sub-division is around 150 and above, this shows clearly that the larger halls must have PA’s with good conditions and audible enough to give smooth sail in academics.

In addition, the number of mono-desks serving students at various lecture halls are lesser than the allocated number of students to occupy a class at a go. This is creating uncomfortable situations where students have to carry desks from one class to another. Maintenance of the mono-desks is not appropriate and have soon cause rapid reduction of desks in our class rooms.

Lastly, we have chanced on stench and unsavoury scenes in our washrooms on countless occasions. Poor sanitation in our washrooms is so unbearable; we can’t continue to have another and more semesters of stench, contracting of diseases and loss of appetite anymore. The stress of perambulating looking for closets to attend to nature’s call must be quenched.

In conclusion, I will like to state that soon school will reopen, and students are going to rise to these same nightmares. This has become more than a containable disease which needs proper care and attention. All advocators, students, quality assurance, management and all other stake holders are entreated to FIX THE CAMPUS!

JESSIE ASANTE 

SRC PRESIDENT HOPEFUL 21'

KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY; MULTI-PURPOSE OFFICE COMPLEX EARMARKED TO GENERATE FUNDS TO BE COMMENCED UNDER THE GUISE OF JESSIES ASANTE WHEN ELECTED.

Team JAPK on leadership has identified that it has become vital to efficiently use resources of the council to generate funds rather than always being dependent on the SRC dues. 

In so doing, the Team has thought of commencing processes to erect a multipurpose office complex which will fetch between GHS 100,000.00 to GHS 150,000.00 annually and also to provide employment for some fraction of students. This is a medium-term project expected to span for two-to-three successive administrations.

SECTIONS OF THE BUILDING

The team, as part of its plan and preparation has contacted some building experts and architects to develop a structural design for the proposed complex, which is subject to review by the General Assembly and Council.

The complex is structured to be a storey with two floors; ground floor, first floor, second floor and a roof top.

The building would contain; a banking hall, Mini Market (Grocery square), Cafeteria, a Lactating mother’s lounge, two Conference rooms, Junior Common Room (JCR), Gym, front desk, an office for women caucus, office for various portfolios and the Presidential Suite. 

BENEFITS OF THE BUILDING

 The space for the mini-mart will be rented out to generate funds and also to employ students as shop attendants. 

 Banking hall, Conference rooms, and rooftop, will be rented to raise funds for the council.

·      The Cafeteria will be out-sourced to raise funds for the council to provide some students with part time employment and practical session for departments that will need the edifice.

 The gym will be co-funded with an investor to coup funds for the council.

The Junior Common Room will be accessible by students to have meetings and other relevant events.

The lactating mother’s bay will provide resting place for mothers and caretakers, and also have a Disney play booth for babies.
Lastly, the front view will be used as advertising board to generate funds.

ESTIMATED COST AND SOURCE OF FUNDS

The cost of the complex is estimated at GHS 1,300,000.00.

Source of funds are;

• INTERNALLY GENERATED FUNDS (SRC DUES)
• SPONSORSHIP

The current SRC dues is estimated at GHS 900,000.00 and therefore if the administration dedicates half of the total funds to this project, we are certain that two-to-three administrations can complete and benefit from this edifice. The edifice can satiate the cost within a period of 10-13 years and profiteer for a good number of years.

The team believes in undertaking projects that for-sees the future which this administration will not benefit from but for successors of this institution.

Below are images of the proposed multipurpose office complex.

_CENTER SPREAD OF THE PEASE POLICY—KTU TO GET A SPORTS COMPLEX WITH A FULLY FURNISHED ASTRO-TURF WHEN VOTED

The PEASE policy as headlined by Team JAPK is the driving force to accelerate the development of the SRC and also to initiate a modified system of governance in KTU. One of the subsidiaries under the PEASE policy to be discussed is the ‘Project’. Project has six blocks of items in which one will be digested in this edition of the center spread.

To begin with, the indefatigable problem identifiers of Team JAPK noticed that; the disciplines that make up the University includes sports as an extra-curricular activity, again sports is a lucrative medium that employs some talented youth (Sportsmen) in Ghana. Considering the benefits that comes with developing sports, it is vital to have facilities that will train our sportsmen and hence help them secure jobs in their field. 

In perspective, the solution is to commence negotiations, engage sports experts and some companies to have a sports complex built here in KTU to help the development of sports. This initiative seeks to make KTU a sports development hub where myriad sports talent from this school will be exported to and from the country and also to feed our national teams.

myriad sports talent from this school will be exported to and from the country and also to feed our national teams.

How do we intend to enroll this? This is a long term project which is expected to be completed in a two calendar year in phases. The first phase (I) would complete the astro-turf and basketball court in 12months and the other sporting disciplines in the latter months of the expected period of phase II. We intend to secure sponsorship by trading on the corporate social responsibilities from partnered banks of the SRC. Again, the Team has out-sourced its links to engage companies like Coca-Cola bottling company, Mc Dan Shipping company, GNPC etc. to render a social responsibility service to absorb part of the funds. We will therefore use various means of generating funds with assets of the SRC to fund the project in order to lay off pressure on the SRC coffers.

We deem-it-fit to work earnestly to see this initiative manifest to help develop sportsmen of KTU, commitment to the PEASE policy is an evidence of we being serious about developing systems to help the people of KTU. Thank you.

JESSIE SASU ASANTE

SRC PRESIDENT HOPEFUL 21’

THE THRIVING FORCE

WATER SHORTAGE; BIG BLOW TO STUDENTS IN THE EXAMINATION WEEK

 

I write to advocate for my colleague students and myself over the recent shortage of water at our various hostels. Life on campus is almost becoming

unbearable due to shortage of water being the basic need of every student. The myriad usage of water for domestic purposes and for emergency make water a fundamental need that needs to be satiated, therefore the shortage of water is posing some challenges which include; lateness to class, distortion of our itinerary, poor concentration in class, and a fear of affecting us against our examination timetable.

In recent times, students have to scavenge in search of water, hopping from one hotspot to another. And this is brooding more complications to our academics; for instance, a student who has a class at 6:00 am will have to wake up at dawn to queue up for water in order to get prepared for class and other domestic use like cooking etc. In a first come first serve queue, the latter student will definitely be late for class which is a serious breach to academic ingenuity.

Again, our itinerary for studies, cooking, and washing is disorganized due to the shortage. As students, we go to main campus to study in the evenings, prepare food after class and do laundry when necessary; all of these activities involve water therefore we tend to postpone or forgo some of these activities which affect us.

In addition, this leads to poor concentration in class, it is evident from how some of my course mates sleep in class because they have to queue at 3:00 am to get water. The hassle in getting water stresses us at dawn and makes us dull in class especially at early morning classes. While others are stressed, others leave class to go and fill their barrels and containers when they are hinted that the tap is flowing.

Lastly, end of semester examination is a week away from now, we fear the negative impacts these aforementioned factors will have as we prepare to write exams. It is obvious that examination requires enough preparations but the recent shortage of water is not helping students to have efficient preparations. 

In proposing solutions to the matters arising, I have contacted the GWCL and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to help offload their water tenders which is equivalent to 10,000 liters at an affordable cost. The water tender (10,000 liters) can serve a maximum of 2000 (5litre bucket) at a go. I therefore copy office of the SRC to contact their corporate partners, Academic chair to use their influence to fetch the concerned, Quality Assurance etc. to get involved and help absorb the cost for water to be supplied for this and the examination period. Looking at the way forward, I suggest that hostel managers and managers of GetFund should adopt alternative means to provide water with which drilled water with pumps will best fit.

Thank you.

JESSIE SASU ASANTE

SRC PRESIDENT HOPEFUL ’21.

THE PEASE POLICY

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

I strongly believe that entrepreneurship is one of the key solutions to unemployment and financial freedom among the youth. This initiative is as a result of statistics showing unemployment rate at an approximated value of 4.51% of the country’s total labour force, taking into consideration the unemployment rate as indicated, the best solution is to equip the youth to be able to bridge the unemployment gap. Most Ghanaian youth have the potential to setup Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME’s) but guidance, training, and Funds are some of the major issues hindering business development among the Youth. In proposing solutions to the aforementioned problems; guidance, training and ways to secure funds must be taught out to the youth, especially tertiary students for them to establish themselves after graduating from school. This is the reason for the adoption of business and entrepreneurship in my policies. That the resources of the SRC will be efficiently utilized to organize;

➢ Entrepreneurship Forums; Forums are known to be avenues for exchange of ideas. This platform is chosen to help Students of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) to tap ideas from prospective entrepreneurs. Also, to share with the students some challenges that is accompanied with starting of a business. Share their experience and to make the students understand the concept of small beginnings.

 

➢ Business Pitch; the purpose of this initiative is to offer KTU students the opportunity to pitch their business ideas in the hope of commercializing to obtain funds from investors and loan facilitators to operationalize and scale their businesses. It is meant to support young people who have business ideas but do not have the money to execute those ventures. I intend to deal with this challenge by bringing partnered banks of the SRC, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) on board to finance the most prioritize business idea.

 

➢ Youth in Agriculture Program; with regards to Agriculture being the backbone of the country’s economy, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has identified that the nexus/connection between agriculture development and Ghana’s ability to achieve its food and nutrition security goals are inextricably linked. Therefore the agriculture sector has become a lucrative venture where students of KTU can involve themselves to secure some form of future earnings. It is evident that we do not offer agriculture programs here in KTU but is believed this will be a platform for additional skills, and dynamism into our system.

 

The PEASE Policy is aimed at changing the face of managing students’ welfare by directly imparting skills that will prepare them for the job market and make students fit to stand on their grounds to establish their businesses after graduation. The PEASE Policy is a game changer therefore I urge all and sundry to develop interest in this policy and make it come to pass.

JESSIE SASU ASANTE

SRC PRESIDENT HOPEFUL 21/22

 

DECLARATION OF INTENTION TO RUN AS SRC PRESIDENT

I hereby officially declare my intention to run for the office of the SRC presidency for the year 2021/2022.

To every decision there is a purpose, therefore I present to you The “PEASE POLICY”, kindly find attached the graphical summary of the policy.

The big picture disintegrated into five blocks to enhance communication.

The block size projecting the whole policies.

 

Summary of Projects 

Summary of Business and Entrepreneurship 

Summary of Academics 

Summary of the Security, Health, and Safety 

Summary of Sports and Entertainment 

BENEFITS OF AEROBICS (PHYSICAL EXERCISE)

Aerobics, system of physical conditioning that increases the efficiency of the body’s intake of oxygen, thereby stimulating the cardiovascular system, developing endurance, and reducing body fat. Increased energy, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, greater suppleness, stronger bones, better posture, and decreased stress levels are other benefits that may accrue from aerobic activity.

 To be effective, aerobic training must include a minimum of three sessions per week. During each session, usually lasting an hour, the exerciser’s heart rate must be raised to a training level for at least 20 minutes.

The concept of aerobics was pioneered in the United States by physician Kenneth H. Cooper and popularized in his books Aerobics (1968) and The Aerobics Way (1977). Cooper’s system uses point charts to rate the aerobic value of various exercises for different age-groups. 

As individuals progressively upgrade the quantity and quality of their exercise, they can gauge the improvement in their physical condition through the point system. In the 1980s aerobics was popularized by Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons through workout videotapes and instructional programs. 

Sometimes called group fitness, aerobics is most often practiced in health and fitness clubs where groups of one to two dozen exercisers follow the lead of an instructor whose movements are synchronized to up-tempo popular music.

Jessie Asante

MAJOR CONCERNS OF KTU STUDENTS (I)

We believe that the development of our society rest on consents from the people that make-up the confined society. Therefore, their concerns need to be addressed to ensure a safe and sound environment. There has been this persisting trench which students have consistently back-lashed yet it has gotten little or no attention. This is a call to the SRC to use its office to mediate on behalf of students.

While I outline the concerns in series of articles, MC (I) discusses over-speeding of vehicles on the Junction 1- Junction 6 stretch. Witnesses describe scenes of reckless and                      over-speeding on the road, especially, the landmarked ‘Glo Mama’ to Junction-6. Its boggles that Police post is mounted on the stretch though but perpetrators are not brought to book after they defile road regularities. We can’t continue to reckon in a society where vice is versa and versa is vice. We can’t afford to lose a student out of negligence before we become conscious of our surrounding.

Team JAPK considering how paramount the affairs of students are; write to the SRC which is the immediate body of students to liaise with the New Juabeng Municipal Assembly (NJMA), campus security and all major stake holders to either put up speed ramp or any solution appropriate. Let’s save lives rather than creating loops that will take lives away.

Jessie Asante

President-Team JAPK

KTU ELECTORAL COMMISSION SET TO CONDUCT ELECTION

 The electoral commissioner, Eduah Eric, popularly known as Dr. Bones, as mandated by the constitution is to conduct election where the students SHALL elect their executives to charter the affairs of students, in so doing; he has consciously worked to defy all odds to diligently perform his duties in the coming days.

The approved date for the 2020/2021 academic year election by management is Saturday, 30^th January, 2020. Prior to the election, the EC will organize a manifesto reading on Wednesday, 27^th January, 2020 for all candidates. Again, the EC has decentralised the polling centres into various faculties to enhance speedy process and avoid over-crowding. He further stated that five (5) polling centres will be created, one for each faculty. The polling centres accompanied by the location in the faculties are presented in the table below;

Centre	Location	Faculty
Polling station 1	Basketball Court	FBMS
Polling station 2	Ceremonial Ground	FAST
Polling station 3	Ceremonial Ground	FBNE
Polling station 4	Ceremonial Ground	FoE
Polling station 5	AD Block	FHASS

 

Eligible Voters

This year’s election does not qualify all students to exercise their franchise and as such, students who are qualified to vote are;

     Continuing students (Level 200 and Level 300) regular and weekend students

·             B-Tech final year students

This assures that Level 100 and B-Tech freshmen who are yet to be inducted into the university have been exempted because their status as students is not recognized until their inception into the school through matriculation.

 

The electoral commission is looking forward to establish free, fair and firm election void of doubts and has laid down procedures for transparency. Security will strictly be on guard and all Covid-19 protocols will be enforced. Congratulations to all candidates in advance.

Thank you.

Author; Jessie Asante

Registration Guidelines for Freshers and Continuing Students, KTU

 Management and Staff of Koforidua Technical University wish to welcome all students, especially, Freshmen and Women to campus to begin the 2020/2021 Academic Year.

As part of the measures to ensure smooth registration and strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols, all fresh students are to follow the steps below to ensure their safety and smooth registration.

Note: Registration for the 2020/2021 Academic Year will be ‘Online Self Registration‘.

REGISTRATION:

STEP 1

1. All fresh students must report at the appropriate registration centre with the following documents after they have paid the required School Fees:
   • Two copies of their admission letters
   • Two copies of their Acceptance Form
   • Two copies of their certificates/results slip
   • Two copies of their birth certificate/baptismal certificate (Matured Students Only)
2. An officer will verify your payment and issue to you a Flat file with your Index Number and your institutional KTU email at the back of it.
3. Write your institutional email and index number in a safe place.
4. File the necessary documents in the Flat file and submit them to the second officer.

Step 2

1. Leave the center and proceed to do your self online course registration with the issued institutional KTU email.
2. Follow the link below to activate your institutional email
   https://www.ktu.edu.gh/services/ktu-email/
3. Follow this link to activate your SIP portal and to perform your course registration.
   https://www.ktu.edu.gh/sip-steps

STUDENTS SUPPORT

• For IT Support: contact ICT Support Services call ICT Support on 0342293596 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday or WhatsApp Only 0262232710, 0265055145
• For Registration Support: contact the Students Services Department t on 0342290311 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday.
• For Payment of Fees Support: contact the Students Services Department t on 0342293598 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday.
• For Institutional Email Activation Support: Contact 0278146899 (WhatsApp ONLY)