Parliament has passed a 38 million euro loan agreement between the Government of Ghana and Deutsche bank for the construction of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in Somanya and Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region.Before the agreement was passed however, the minority raised concerns about value for money for some of the components of the agreement.
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The Minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu cited the proposed use of about 1.7 million euros for the construction of a residential facility for the Vice Chancellor of the University saying it is “dangerous for the economic health”
“I’m informed on authority that the Vice Chancellors bungalow alone is going to cost us as a nation more than 1.2 million euros.
. That should be around $1.5 million. Mr. Speaker, that amount transforms to about GHc6 million which is about 60 billion old cedis. Where are we heading as a nation? This is dangerous for the economic health of this country,” he said.
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Though Mensah Bonsu noted that the university was necessary he said there was the need to have value for money projects.
“I have said that we should be very conscious about what we are doing in these last days…We agree that there is the need to establish the university of Environment and Sustainable development in the Eastern Region, but what would be going into that is dangerous for the economic health of the nation. And I believe that at the appropriate time the critical issues would be raised and if we have to resist it to ensure that the proper thing is done so that we will have value for money,” he added.
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Meanwhile, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, Alfred Agbesi justified the agreement saying it will open up access to higher education in the country.
“Mr. Speaker we are all one mind, one idea that we need this university and what is necessary is what is contained in the report of the committee that the university was envisaged to operate as a multi-campus institution.
By that I understand it to that apart from Somanya and Donkorkrom, other campuses…and I’m hoping that very soon, a campus will come to Sogakorpe because that is the purpose. Mr. Speaker, the committee went further to state that the project is in line with development vision to establish a public university in each region. So if the government has envisaged this and which is provided in the constitution and we are doing so, then all that we have to say is that this is a government that has ideas…and that we need such government to continue to give us more ideas.”
Credit:Citifmonline.com