The 6th Governing Council of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) has been inaugurated by the Minister for Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu in a special ceremony held at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
As part of the ceremony, the Minister administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the newly appointed Council members and conveyed the best wishes of the President of the Republic of the Ghana, H. E. John Dramani Mahama to the appointees.
The newly constituted Governing Council is chaired by Professor Mrs Goski Alabi and includes government appointees Professor Richard Acquaye, Dr Francis Ferguson Howard, Mr Andrew Acquah Oppan, and Dr Lena Awoonor-Aziaku. Other members of the Council include the Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah; the representative of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Reverend Father George Eduayaw Ansah; the Professorial member on Convocation, Professor Benard Kumi-Boateng; the Non-professorial member on Convocation, Dr Henry Otoo; the representative of Junior staff, Ms Cecilia Baffoe; the representative of Senior staff Mr Bashirudin Adam; the Alumni representative, Dr Peter Emerson Sampson; the Undergraduate students’ representative, Mr Kevin Ofori Junior; the Postgraduate students’ representative, Mr Ebenezer Narteh Hargoe and the representative for the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Sulemanu Koney.
In his address to the Council, the Minister emphasised the need for strong leadership and innovation to drive Ghana’s industrial growth. He underscored the strategic importance of UMaT to Ghana’s industrialisation agenda, particularly in the area of mining and extractive industry education and emphasised that the University’s leadership would play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the nation’s technical and industrial workforce.
The Minister also lauded the Vice Chancellor’s initiative in launching the Pre-Engineering Programme, aimed at broadening access to engineering education for non-traditional science students. He assured stakeholders of the Ministry’s continued support for the programme, pending its evaluation by Ghana Tertiary Eduction Commission (GTEC).
Addressing the newly appointed Chairperson of Council, the Minister highlighted her extensive experience in quality assurance and conveyed the President’s full confidence in her capacity to lead. He expressed optimism that under her stewardship, UMaT would achieve even greater excellence in mining engineering and related disciplines.
The Chairperson, Professor Mrs Goski Alabi in her response on behalf of the Council expressed profound gratitude for the honour of serving and conveyed appreciation to the President of the Republic. She also highlighted the vital role UMaT plays in national development, especially its contribution to Ghana’s economy through the mining and extractive sectors and emphasized the University’s responsibility in promoting sustainable resource use. Prof Alabi further pledged that the Council would work to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Present at the inauguration were the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Mrs Maamle Andrews; the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai; the Registrar, Mr Matthew K. Okrah; the Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Mrs Grace Ofori-Sarpong Akuffo; the Finance Officer, Mr Jonathan Sakoe; and the Deputy Registrar in-charge of Academic and Student Affairs, Mrs Lydia Ephraim.
The reconstituted Council is expected to begin work immediately, their responsibilities include institutional governance, policy oversight, and guiding the strategic direction of the university.
