“The Mistakes, Challenges, Achievements, Corrections, And Lessons Coupled” – Raphael Kobla Elorm Dzivenu

“The Mistakes, Challenges, Achievements, Corrections, And Lessons Coupled With Experiences Encountered And Learnt As President” – Raphael Kobla Elorm Dzivenu.

H.E. Raphael Kobla Elorm Dzivenu made this known in his speech delivered on the occasion of the KTU SRC Handing Over and Inauguration Ceremony held on 29^th July 2019.

The ceremony took place in the Aba Bentil Theater, KTU, the ceremony saw in attendance of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Rev. Dr Nicholas A. Siaw who Chaired the event and other dignitaries including the Registrar, KTU, N.A Mensah-Livingstone (PhD), Mr Samuel Kwabena Ayittah (the Dean of Students), Deans of various faculties and other heads of departments.

Students presence was on a low side, this can be as a result students are on the long vacations, this is not the first an SRC handing over ceremony is held during a vacation. Student activist have pushed for the amendment of the SRC Constitution to allow the SRC elections to be held emailer so that the handing over ceremony can see the likes of students attending

Below is the full Speech of Raphael Kobla Elorm Dzivenu, the just Outgone SRC president

Indeed, praise to the almighty God for making this day possible and successful, ‘For as the saying goes whatever that has a beginning has an end’ and so has its reality come to pass.

Mr Chairman, Dignitaries Present, lecturers of this noble institution, my astute co-executives, Poised for service and improvement incoming executives, Executives from sister institutions, Media Present, Observers, Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen. My warmest greetings and welcome to you all.

I must say occupying this office has been a privilege and challenging learning environments for me and my executives, the journey was tough but with the passion and desire to serve, we did all our possible best to keep the SRC flame burning and flag high.

After assuming the office as SRC President many have been the mistakes, challenges, achievements, corrections, and lessons coupled with experiences encountered and learnt as President of the council.

I would touch on the achievements, challenges some advice in the form of recommendations to our incoming. Mr Chairman, over the year amongst the achievements, are;

1. Our ability to refurbish the SRC Secretariat by the President’s office with a new Desktop Computer, Printer, President’s chair and carpets as well as the rebranding of visitor’s chair, curtains and a new cabinet to keep documents.
2. Stocking the Secretaries Cubicle with also a brand-new HP desktop computer and Secretaries’ chair to make work easier and faster for the association.
3. Procuring of a brand-new Samsung 50-inch Digital flat screen for the SRC junior common room for updates on news, sports and entertainment, as well as means of projecting images and proposals for discussion during meetings, also a rebranding of chairs, carpets and curtains were bought and replacing of old locks.
4. Revamping of the SRC Business centre which has over the years been non-functional to the SRC, for that matter we entered a lease for the smooth running of the business centre for students in terms of printing, typing, photocopying and binding of final project work at z moderate and affordable prices.
5. Refurbishment of the resting lovers’ benches which regularly gets damaged within a short while over the years for students relaxation and comfortability before and after lectures, and during group discussions.
6. Due to the welfare and security needs of our students we able to establish and build a cordial relationship with the Eastern Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service to ensure constant patrols in and around the University community.
7. We were able to meet with the Director for Ghana Highways Authority and Urban roads, as well as the New Juabeng Municipal Chief Executive which resulted in repairing and turning on the streetlight which is in front of the University stretching from the formerly known as Poly junction to the Akwadum roundabout which has been off for years and that has made the cases of attack on our students over reduce drastically this year..
8. We were also able to push for the replenishment of drugs to the KTU Clinic, as well as, procuring of new patient waiting for chairs, new patient beds, drip stands and many others to ensure better health care for our students on campus.
9. We were also able to push for the replacement of old and cracked markerboards with new ones, repair of fans, replacements on louvre blades and an additional 1000 new students study and lab chairs were procured for the various lecture halls at CCB, which more yet to be added soon.
10. By the directions of the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Mr Samuel Ayittah we were able to draft policy documents which were to aid in the management of the SRC Transport systems, Led Screen and Financial Policies, which have been drafted and tried and are yet to be passed for full functionality.
11. Another thing that I achieved as an SRC President was to fight in terms of students registration issues, wherein this year students with financial challenges have been able to register and have peace of mind to study and learn for the examination, I couldn’t do it alone without the help of the Dean of Students’ Affairs, HOD Students Services and some key administrators and lecturers and registration was extended countlessly times for students with problems to register successfully.
12. Finally, I can boost that from Junction one to Junction Six which serves as a route to many of our students which were mostly dark over the years with no lights and served as grounds or areas for most attacks on students now have Led street lights fixed within those areas, and I know that we need, which am sure our successors would continue the good work started.

Mr Chairman, Challenges:

The following are challenges that I faced as a President of this noble association;

1. Mr Chairman, one of my greatest challenges as President was getting money (funds) for SRC related activities from management and that led to the delay and postponement of several of our SRC activities and we had to go through hell before acquiring our funds.
2. Another challenge was some decisions taken by the University council on the SRC due to many deficiencies spotted from years passed, without laying down measures and procedures to adapt smoothly but just levelled like that on us which we came to meet, and this led to having challenges in acquiring souvenirs for our students even as at now.
3. The way our funds are transferred to us if not the intervention and advise of the Dean of Students’, this University wouldn’t have been a place for us to be gathered today, meaning violence or demonstration were not the best resort but still management are not identifying these factors and still doing things their way, especially the finance department of the University.
4. Another peculiar challenge I faced as a President, Mr Chairman was the attitude towards work by some colleague executives, communication among us was a problem, executives were not reporting the progress of their activities and some were not taken instruction which made it difficult to identify the challenges faced in their activities and achievement or more for the SRC.

RECOMMENDATION;

I will recommend the following the incoming executives;

1. They should build a cordial relationship with the Finance department of the University and consult with the computer networking department to create a system which would be linked with the OSIS of the school, to have a proper tracking of our monies.
2. I would recommend that the incoming engage with investors to see how they can put together proposals to develop the SRC land at Sempoaminsah and the supposed hostel on campus to start the hostel project for students.
3. The incoming should call for a meeting through the Dean of student office with management to discuss on issues on the procurement activities of the SRC, to reach a mutual agreement to help aid in acquiring souvenirs for students before any delay sets in.
4. The incoming should put a proposal together as well as call for a meeting with management to discuss about a space to be allocated for putting up a Police station on campus, for with our interaction with the Ghana Police Service all they need is for a space to enable them to put a structure to better the safety of our students and the general community as a whole.
5. I would recommend that a desk should be created in the SRC Presidents’ office for the Vice President, so us to safeguard the seat of the President and treat it with respect when He is on outstation duty.
6. I would recommend the SRC should seek sponsorship to secure a pick up for the daily and fast movements of the President and His Executives.
7. The drafted policy documents should be reviewed and passed by the General Assembly for all students to have access to for the smooth running of the various SRC asserts.
8. The SRC webmaster must be worked with hand in hand, to make proper use of all the mediums of communication for the student populace and safeguard information for future references.
9. I would also recommend that proper and consistent consultations should be made before any activity or actions are carried out as SRC, so us not to bring any sanctions on the council.
10. My last and final recommendation, Mr. Chairman is that the incoming Executives should work together in understanding and stop the undermining of each other and be submissive to instruction and love one another and shouldn’t use this platform to take advantage of the common students especially the guys among the executives and exhibit moral standards and uphold their integrity.
11. Chairman, Media present, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the position of the SRC President Has been challenging but I must say has been good so far, despite the challenges many lessons have been learnt and it is my uttermost wish and prayer that the incoming would do much better and achieve more than we did.

I want to use this platform to ask on behalf of myself and executives that probably in the order of our work knowingly and unknowingly, if we might have stepped on anyone’s toes we be pardoned, for we are human full of imperfections and as the saying goes ‘To err is human but to forgive is divine.

We are grateful to GOD for a successful end and want to say a big Thank You to the University Council, Management, Dean, lecturers, Colleague executives, students and close allies for the support.

Long live Ghana
Long live KTU
Long live the SRC

RAPHAEL KOBLA ELORM DZIVENU
(SRC PRESIDENT 2018/19).