Patrons of Legon Junior Jubilee Choir Donate to Children’s Ward of University Hospital

Prof. Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey presenting the cheque to staff of the Children’s Ward of the University Hospital

Patrons of the University of Ghana Junior Jubilee Choir have on behalf of the Choir, presented a cheque of two thousand five hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC2, 500.00) to the Children’s ward of the University Hospital, Legon. The donation was from the offering taken during the 2015 service of Nine Lessons and Carols, at which the Choir performed.

Presenting the cheque, the Chief Patron of the choir, Prof. Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey, who was accompanied by two other patrons, Mrs. Christy Badu and Mrs. Stella A. Amoa, said Patrons have been working in close partnership with the Public Affairs Directorate and the Department of Music of the University of Ghana to organise the annual event.  She noted that the members of the Junior Jubilee Choir, aged between 10-15 years, were recruited from the UG Basic School and the Staff Village Basic School, and the Patrons believed it was a good thing to make the presentation to the Children’s Ward of the hospital.  

Prof. Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey expressed the hope that the donation would be used to provide the ward with its needs. She used the opportunity to encourage other stakeholders and units in and outside the University of Ghana to support worthy causes as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Delivering brief remarks at the presentation ceremony, the Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Stella Amoa who is also a Patron and facilitator of the Legon Junior Jubilee Choir, gave a brief background about the choir, noting that it emanated from the idea of having a junior choir that would be nurtured by their adult counterparts, University of Ghana Jubilee Choir.

She noted that the inaugural Service of Nine Lessons and Carols was held in 2010 and has since become an annual event on the calendar of the University.

Dr. Agyeiwa Tetteh, a Paediatrician and Mr. Eric Gaisey the Hospital Administrator received the presentation on behalf of the ward.

Dr. Tetteh expressed her profound gratitude to the patrons of the Legon Jubilee Choir for their generous donation. She thanked the patrons for touching the lives of children through the kind gesture and indicated that the Ward had a number of needs and the donation would no doubt go a long way to satisfy some of the needs.  She also promised to inform the Patrons in due course, what the donation had been specifically used for. 

Present at the  ceremony were staff of the Children’s Ward.

Former Vice-Chancellor Prof. George Benneh Donates Books To Balme Library

Prof. George Benneh and his wife (both seated). Looking on are staff of the Balme Library.

A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. George Benneh has presented a collection of books to the Balme Library at a brief ceremony. The presentation totalled two hundred and fifty-seven books from his personal collection, which cut across several disciplines.

Prof. Ellis Badu, the University Librarian receiving the books from Prof. George Benneh

The Acting University Librarian, Prof. Ellis Badu expressed his sincere appreciation to Prof. Benneh for the presentation. He pledged proper maintenance and safekeeping of the books while assuring him that the books will benefit students from across all disciplines as they would be easily accessible. He added that the books would be preserved and conserved for generations yet unborn.

Prof. George Benneh making remarks at the presentation

Prof. Benneh, in remarks at the ceremony, said as a former Vice-Chancellor of the University, he is proud that the University of Ghana has been ranked the 7th best University in the whole of Africa. He commended Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey for the feat achieved and emphasised the need for the University to work towards attaining the enviable first position. Prof. Benneh underscored the role that the Balme Library can play to make this a reality, by enhancing its function as a good reference and research library. He further called on faculty members of the university to intensify publication of their research papers and books.

Prof. Benneh recalled that in times past, research papers and books for students used to be published outside the shores of Ghana, citing Cambridge and Oxford universities as examples. He stressed on the need to revamp the Ghana Universities Press to enable it perform this function. 

While expressing the hope that the donated books would be made available to other libraries outside Ghana through the library exchange programme for the benefit of students abroad, he also called on the Balme Library to ensure that copies of all PhD theses presented by students of the University of Ghana are well-kept in the Library.

Some titles of the books donated by Prof. Benneh were; Fighting For Freedom, Energy And Ghana’s Socio-Economic Development, Technology Should Seek Tradition, Gender: Evolving Roles And Perceptions, Harnessing Research, Science And Technology For  Sustainable Development In Ghana, Women And Development In The Third World, European Review, Ghana @ 50 Anniversary Lectures, Philosophy And Human Geography: An Introduction To Contemporary Approaches, Population Dynamics of Kenya.

The ceremony was witnessed by staff of the Balme Library.