The Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region is expected to admit one thousand fresh students when it re-opens on Monday, January 11, this year. Already there are one thousand continuing students in the University.

The Interim Vice Chancellor of the BTU, Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa made this known at Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality on Saturday, January 9, when newsmen contacted him on the various arrangements put in place by the University to help curb the spread of the pandemic as the BTU prepares to re-open for academic work to continue.

“The Management of this University will not compromise on its efforts at ensuring that students of the school adhere strictly to the COVID-19 safety protocols”, Prof Alnaa stressed.

He stated that the COVID-19 Taskforce would strictly enforce the COVID-19 adherence safety protocols by ensuring that the wearing of nose masks among both continuing and fresh students are mandatory before they are allowed on campus to attend lectures and other official duties.

"The COVID-19 Taskforce will also ensure that the sitting arrangements in lecture halls are given more space in addition to the procurement of washing facilities including soap and COVID- 19 Temperature Machines. All these facilities will be placed at vantage points for easy accessibility,” he pointed out.

The Interim Vice Chancellor thanked Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a Waste Management Company for following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s announcement for all schools including tertiary institutions to be fumigated and disinfected before resumption of schools.

He was elated that such interventions will ultimately help make re-opening of the University smooth.

Prof Alnaa, therefore, allayed the fears of students and parents about students’ safety on campus and cautioned the students to ensure that they adhere strictly to all the safety protocols while staying on campus.

Conversion

He observed that before the conversion of the Polytechnic into a Technical University, the school enrolment figures was about 500 but enrolment has now doubled.

He attributed the development to among other things Government’s introduction of the Free Senior High School Policy as well as the introduction of new programmes by the University.