Three Rotary clubs have donated several dozen books to the Faculty of Law of the University for Development Studies (UDS), expanding the materials available to students and lecturers for teaching, learning and research. At the presentation, Rotary’s district governor in Ghana also proposed a formal partnership with the University to support legal education.

The books, which cover a range of legal subject areas, were presented by the Rotary Club of Staines, the Rotary Club of Accra–Ring Road Central and the Rotary Club of Tamale. The joint donation forms part of the clubs’ efforts to widen access to knowledge and reflects Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self”.

Rotarian Prosper Kweku Ahey, President of the Rotary Club of Accra–Ring Road Central, said Rotary serves communities through practical initiatives that respond to their needs. He explained that the three clubs chose to support legal education at UDS by giving students a wider selection of materials to consult in their coursework and research.

Dr. Jack Andrews Dotsey, Governor of Rotary District 9104 in Ghana, called for UDS and Rotary to build on the donation by establishing a formal partnership. He identified legal education as an area where the two institutions could work together and said a formal relationship would provide a basis for developing future initiatives to support the training of law students.

For Dr. Mohammed Sanka, Head of Department at the Faculty of Law, the donation carried a lesson for the students who would use the books. He said the generosity of the three clubs showed what it means to give back to society. He encouraged students to carry that example into their studies and, in time, into their professional lives.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu, described the donation as an “investment in knowledge”. He said the books would support lecturers in their teaching and research and give students more sources to draw on as they develop their understanding of the law. He assured the delegation that the University would preserve the books for future generations of students and thanked the three clubs for pooling their resources to support the Faculty.

The presentation brought together members of the University’s management, the Faculty of Law and the Rotary delegation. Among those present were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Elliot Haruna Alhassan, the Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, and the Director of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Hardi Shaibu. The Director of Works and Physical Development, Ing. Kwame Debrah, and the Acting University Librarian, Madam Deborah Appiah, also attended.

Lawyer Nurudeen Mohammed, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, joined UDS law students and Rotaract members from the Tamale and Nyankpala campuses at the presentation.

Story by Abdul-Hayi Moomen
UDS Media