University of Ghana graduates advised against joining corruption bandwagon
Mr Ebenezer Twum Asante, the Vice President of MTN Group for West and Central Africa, has advised graduates of the University of Ghana not to join the bandwagon of corruption in their fields of disciplines.
Procurement and permitting processes, Mr Asante said should not become an avenue for them to make money and urged the graduates to be professional in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“A corrupt mind cannot think and make optimal decisions. Let us focus our decent minds and energies productively and it will pay off in the end,” he advised.
Mr Asante gave the advice at the graduation ceremony for Post Graduate students of the University of Ghana in Accra.
The University is graduating a total of 9,643 students, including 2,363 Masters’ students and 88 PhD students, who have completed their programmes of study in the 2020/2021 academic year.
He said the academic laurels attained by the graduates demonstrated their potential ability, stressing that their impact would depend on how they apply themselves well, work with others and seek greater collaboration for success.
“We all need transformational mindsets that are driven by strong values and the right behaviours,” he said.
He urged the graduates to rise above reproach and allowed their big minds and voices to uplift and promote a merit-based just society for national development.
“University as a knowledge marketplace is a key avenue for grooming critical thinking, curiosity and creative minds and for the rigorous application of knowledge to solve real-life problems,” he said.
Mr Asante urged them to focus their degrees to solve uplifting problems since that would take them beyond securing the hard needed employment, the promotion or career they aspire to achieve.
“In Ghana, a lot of people are being encouraged to be entrepreneurs which is very good. To me, being entrepreneurial means taking ownership of and actively making use of your ideas, talents and knowledge for a living,” he said.
Global statistics show that only a small percentage of people pursue graduate programmes. In the United Kingdom, only about 1. 3 per cent of the population have acquired a Master’s degree.
Mr Asante said the country needed to address issues of poverty, inequality, unemployment, global talent competitiveness gap and poor sanitation, which resulted in a low human development index.
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, advised the graduates to be good ambassadors of the University’s brand.
She admonished them to raise high the bar of excellence and always uphold the tenets of truth and integrity to raise the image of the University.
Mrs Theodora Akua Aryee, the Best Graduating student, commended faculty members and all who supported them to achieve the feat and pledged to make a positive impact in the job market.
“I am humbled and honoured for this opportunity. I am confident that with hard work, we will succeed in our endeavours,” she said.
Mrs Aryee, who graduated with PhD in Accounting, appealed to the management of the University to shorten the duration for thesis grading to enrich the graduate school programme.
Source: GNA