He argued that most of the polytechnics had developed their facilities adequately and also possessed the qualified staff for the level.
"We are capable of running "top-up" degree programmes which the universities are currently offering," he cited. Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah told the Daily Graphic in an interview in Sunyani that NAB ought to look at those polytechnics which had 5ufficient and adequate facilities and provide them accreditation to run degree programmes, so that the universities would not use the polytechnics as a conduit for training students who had graduated from there (polytechnics). "After three years at the polytechnic, the universities accept students from our institutions and give them what they call 'top-up', after which they award them degrees the rector observed. He pointed out that the polytechnics were in a position to do so, but they needed NAB to grant them permission, adding that even some of the students did not know what they were going to do as a "top-up", but at the end of the day, they were awarded Bachelor's degrees, depending on their areas of study. This is something most of the polytechnics could also do, because after all, we are better prepared and have positioned ourselves well to meet the demands of our own students in terms of facilities and quality of staff, Prof. siah-Gyabaah maintained.
The rector reminded the government that if indeed it wanted to use the polytechnic institutions as engines of growth, then it should provide the necessary support for them to be able to achieve its goals. "Most of the polytechnics have come of age to do those courses being offered at the universities as "top-ups, and so they should not be denied the opportunity," Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah stated. In a related development, the rector of S-Poly has called on the government to release money to contractors who are executing various projects on the campuses of polytechnics in the country to enable them to complete those projects in time. He also indicated that in the case of S-poly, the government had allocated GH¢1,300,000 to the institution, but pointed out that the money had not yet been released to the contractors by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). According to him, because of that hindrance, the contractors were not on site to continue with a Science Park Project which was to provide office accommodation for lecturers, theatre halls, laboratories and a business centre. Prof Nsiah-Gyabaah, who showed the Daily Graphic a prototype of the project, indicated that when the project was successfully completed, it would add to the number of facilities at the polytechnic.
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