Takoradi Technical University (TTU), in collaboration with retired staff of the university have inaugurated a TTU Pensioners’ Association (TTUPA) for the care of retiring staff.
The Vice Chancellor of TTU, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun, speaking at the inauguration of the TTUPA and its 6-member Interim Executives, said the establishment of the TTUPA is a long time desire of his administration to ensure structured care for hardworking retirees of the university.
He said TTUPA’s inauguration marks a huge milestone in TTU’s pacesetting responsibility as the premier Technical University and therefore will serve as the umbrella body to see to the welfare and interaction of retired staff of TTU.
“As part of my vision in TTU, I had you in mind, and we try as much as possible to work with you and then visit you periodically to find out how you are faring… But, I was finding it very difficult to do that, so every year we factored you to be receiving the calendars and diaries… I am grateful that you formed this association… I think it’s a laudable thing. With this organized Association in place, anytime that we are in difficulty, we can reach out to you because I know when you pray it works but when you have some bitterness in you, it is not good as you didn’t leave the University in bitterness but in happiness“, he said.
Rev. Prof. Eshun also said the association is a good initiative to prolong the lifespan of staff after retirement and would be a good reference point for management to seek advise as well as offer support.
“My prayer is that, this association will stay and grow and become a big association so that from time to time we can come to you for advice when the need arises. As a result, we have also designed some policies, for instance, health care for our retirees. We have seen that, after your retirement, the major hurdle is health care, so we have upgraded our clinic to a health centre to be able to take care of your health needs… We need you to stay with us for a long time… I know that there is still some deposit of knowledge in store in you that we need to take, hence we are making it possible for us to be able to take care of you“, he added.
The Interim Executive Chairman of the TTUPA, Dr. Norbert Adjei, in his inaugural address said the TTU Pensioners’ Association became necessary to serve a clear need to improve better interaction and provision of welfare needs of retirees, which is a novelty.
“It is significant to note that, like the supervised industrial attachment training programme, TTU is once again setting the pace in establishing this association ahead of the other Technical Universities in Ghana. In the latter part of 2020, a WhatsApp group platform of a few retired staff of TTU was created with the intention of exchanging pleasantries and information. Within a few weeks, the number of members on the platform kept increasing. Retired members of TTU who live outside Takoradi became excited to link up with old-time colleagues; therefore this association was created,” he said.
Dr. Adjei said management of TTU has accepted a draft constitution for running the association and promised to also use the association to support the university.
“Let me take this opportunity to emphasise the fact that the diverse expertise of members of the association is always available to the university community to use. We are only retired but certainly not retarded’, he added.
He however appealed to the management of the university to provide the association with office space, meeting grounds and some logistics to help facilitate the operation of the association.
TUTAG Chairman, Joseph Danso, expressed support for the survival of TTUPA as its members would definitely retire and become members.
“As TUTAG, we promise to support this association, and therefore whatever your needs are, whatever roles you want us to play, we are willing to play so far as I continue to be the TUTAG Chair. I want you to understand that we will support this initiative with all our will and with our might. This is because we strongly believe that, one day, we shall get here and when we make it beautiful, we shall all enjoy“, he said.
The inaugurated TTUPA interim executives include Dr. Norbert Adjei as its Chairman, Peter Owusu Akyaw Snr. as the Vice Chairman, Emmanuel Agyekum Omane as Secretary, David Asamani as Assistant Secretary, Jonathan Ahumatah as the Treasurer and Chris Nat-Ndede as the Financial Secretary.
The TTUPA interim Executives team has four co-opted members from TUSAAG, TUAAG, TUTAG and TTU WELFARE ASSOCIATION as well as three ex-officio members including Dr. Nicholas Aidoo Taylor, Rev. Prof Daniel Nyarko and Kofi Manukure Henaku. The Interim Executives will steer the affairs of the Association for one year before substantive executives are elected.
Present at the inauguration of the TTUPA were Pro Vice Chancellor of TTU, Prof. Victor Bonzie Micah and the Registrar of TTU, Dr. Moses Maclean Abnory.
