President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on the University for Development Studies (UDS), to establish a Peace and Security Centre as part of efforts to ensure peace in the Northern Region.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said the Peace and Security Centre should undertake conflict management training to among others let people understand early warning signals to help forestall conflicts in the region.
Mr. Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister, who read a speech on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo at a special congregation of UDS in Tamale on Friday, said pockets of conflicts in the region continue to hamper efforts to bring development to the region.
The special congregation, which climaxed the fifth edition of the Africa Leadership Lectures, saw UDS confer a Doctor of Letters Degree on Mr Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of Tanzania for his commitment to fighting corruption and dedication to serving his people.
A total of 222 graduate students including six PhD students who read various courses at UDS also graduated during the event.
The fifth edition of the Africa Leadership Lectures, delivered by Mr. Mkapa, was instituted by the UDS in 2013, to contribute to a national and transnational discourse on productive leadership culture that will support and enhance African development.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said sustainable peace would go a long way to consolidate the development gains hence the need to ensure peace in the region.
The Northern Region continues to experience pockets of conflicts as a result of chieftaincy and land disputes, a situation which takes a toll on public expenditure as a lot of resources are mostly sunk into maintaining peace instead of undertaking development projects.
President Akufo-Addo also urged UDS to continue to roll out disciplines that would help to address the developmental needs of the north, and the country as a whole.
Professor Gabriel Teye, Vice-Chancellor of UDS, appealed to government to give clearance to the University to recruit qualified staff to strengthen its faculties as many staff members have gone on retirement.
Professor Teye said the inadequate number of staff at most faculties of UDS was affecting its operations. He also appealed to government to help improve on the infrastructural facilities of the University.
Professor Teye also complained about acts of indiscipline that had crept into society and called on government to launch a plan on indiscipline to arrest the canker.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
