The Takoradi Technical University, TTU, has inducted into office its first Vice-Chancellor in the person of Reverend Professor John Frank Eshun.
Other key officials also inducted include the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah, the Registrar, Moses Maclean Abnory, and Dr. Gabriel Sam Ahinful as the Director of Finance.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eshun in his inaugural address said he has put together a five-year strategic plan to make TTU a research and innovation hub.
“The new TTU dream is to educate and enrich through applied research. My dream is to make TTU a research hub where new innovations and inventions will abound. My vision is to expand our partnerships with other higher educational institutions, businesses, health sciences, education, governmental agencies, civic organizations in order to build a better and much stronger institution. Our short-term goals are to embark on research that meets the demands of the region’s industries and businesses including agri-business, education, technology, the arts and sciences. For Takoradi Technical University to succeed in this competitive environment, and to be the best Technical University in Ghana and Africa, we need self-discipline.”
While commending the new team of officers, the Minister of State In-charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, said government has advanced negotiations with TUTAG on their ongoing strike, hence the need for them to show goodwill by ending the strike.
He therefore urged the new leadership to live up to expectation.
“Let your name be written in gold as the foundation Vice-Chancellor, whose vision carved a niche and led to the blossoming of local content in Ghana’s oil and gas industry. I urge on you courageous leadership. Show the way and get your staff to follow in the forward match of the University. While the Vice-Chancellor shows the way, he requires an experienced and dedicated management team as well as teaching and non-teaching staff who are committed to achieving one goal – the attainment of the University’s core mandate, which is research, quality teaching and learning to produce quality graduates for the development of industry.”
The TTU Council Chair, Dr. Harientta Abane, challenged the VC and his newly appointed team to work hard to merit the trust reposed in them.
“Council is mindful of the importance of the office of these officers and the role they play in the day-to-day management of the University. I am by this declaration assuring Rev. Prof. Eshun, Prof. Micah, Mr. Abnory and Dr. Arhinful of council’s unflinching support and remain resolute in all our dealings within the mandate of council. Council will not interfere in the day-to-day administration of the Technical University, but will not hesitate to intervene when there is evidence of a breach of the Technical University Act or the Takoradi Technical University Statutes.”
Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun is an Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering at the Department of Interior Design and Production in the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment of Takoradi Technical University.
Until his appointment as the first substantive Vice-Chancellor of Takoradi Technical University, Rev. Eshun was the Rector of the Takoradi Polytechnic.
Prof. J. F. Eshun has made enormous contributions to curriculum development for Polytechnic education in Ghana and has a number of research papers to his credit.
He has presented several international conference papers and has had many refereed papers published in international journals to his credit.
He is the Current Acting Chairman of Vice-Chancellors and Rectors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VCTU-G).