The Chancellor of the University, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has unveiled a monument in honour and in memory of the first director of sports of the Kumasi College of Technology (KCT) now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the late Arthur Hercules Ratnadurai Joseph, popularly known as Paa Joe.
The unveiling was part of an institutional visit by the Chancellor to inspect ongoing infrastructural projects on campus.
The Unveiling was done at the University Stadium popularly called the Paa Joe Stadium which was named after the late Arthur H. R. Joseph(O.B.E.); M.B.E), a Sri Lankan native. The late Arthur Joseph served as the first director of sports of the KCT between 19522- 1957 and also the first warden between 1955 to 1957.
The late H. R. Joseph, “Paa Joe”, was also the first senior sports master of the Achimota College from 1926 to 1949 and was the Former Secretary to the Gold Coast and Ghana Amateur Sports Council.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the decision to mount a monument in his honour at the stadium named after him was in recognition of his selfless service to Ghana in the fields of sports and education.
The monument was through the efforts of an advisory team from of the Faculty of Art, KNUST and Mr. Benjamin Odame- Yeboah, an alumnus as the Sculptor.
Led by the Chairman of Council of the University, Emeritus Professor Kwame Sarpong, the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro- Vice-Chancellor together with some members of convocation inspected the projects.
The Chancellor cut the sod for the first phase of the proposed 6- Storey College of Art and Built Environment (CABE) Building Complex, which when completed would house lecture halls, offices, exhibition spaces and washrooms for Faculty and students of the College.
The Asantehene also inspected ongoing construction works at the Regional Water and Sanitation Building, Social Sciences Complex which is being built by Berock Ventures, the KNUST School of Business Graduate School Complex, which has Antartic Contract Works Limited as Contractors.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also inspected the proposed 4-Storey classroom/lecture block for the School of Medical Sciences, (SMS), which has China State Hua (Ghana) Limited as contractors. He proceeded to inspect the site for the first phase of the proposed 5-Storey classrooms and offices complex for the Department of Nursing.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, visited the car parking facility at the KNUST Hospital and the Senior Member Duplex Housing at the Okodie Road.
Briefing the media after the tour, a Representative of the Asantehene, Oheneba Akwasi Abayie, Otumfuo Akonferehene, said the Chancellor is impressed with expansion works and that the Chancellor is directing, supervising and supporting management so that the institution continues to make great strides in all aspects in training human resource for the world.
The Akonferehene revealed that the Chancellor together with management can confidently say that an additional 16,000 classroom spaces has been created to accommodate the anticipated enrolment in future. He continued that in the next two years, KNUST can accommodate the increasing number of students admitted in the President’s Free Senior High School policy.
