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It has now been established that the actual site for the construction of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UNIHAS) is not ready. On Friday, January 13, 2012 the Volta Regional Minister, Joseph Amenowode took journalists round the site, but the only visible development was the clearing of the perimeter and access road. Interestingly the Regional Minister, who announced in the region last year that the university would start the admission of students in September 2011, could not indicate when the university would take off, let alone the period when the construction of the physical structures would commence at the site. He however noted the governing council of the university would announce the commencement of the construction of physical structures. The Regional Minister stressed that �we should not expect any physical structure immediately but later in the very near future.� According to him, the University of Health and Allied Sciences has been designed to be a state-of-the-art autonomous and internationally accredited institution and therefore needed meticulous planning instead. Mr. Amenowode, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe South, noted that water and other amenities would be constructed at the site after the completion of land and road networks. The construction of the access roads, he noted, has been awarded to MESSRS USUYA Ghana Limited on a pre-financing basis. He said the NDC government, due to its commitment to fulfil its promise to Ghanaians and Voltarians, in particular, had made arrangements for some temporary structures. The temporary structures, consisting of a lecture hall, administration block, Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, student hostel and senior staff accommodation, would be completed soon. He said �looking at these developments, there is no reason why the university shouldn�t start admissions this year 2012.� It would be recalled that last year President John Evans Attah Mills and his Vice, John Mahama and many government officials promised that admissions by the university would start in September, last year, 2011 as part of �Action Year.�Last Monday, when the President met the press at the Osu Castle, he said if one takes a trip to the site at Sokode, one would find work seriously going on with some Chinese contractors on the land working seriously. He added that the lecture halls and residences are being developed for the top management of the university. However during the tour organised by the Regional Minister, not a single Chinese was seen at the site where a colourful sod cutting ceremony was held nearly a year ago. The Regional Minister noted that although the Chinese were not present at the site they visited the area to undertake some feasibility studies, stressing that they met with other partners including Ghana Highways Authority, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company, Lands Commission, Town and Country Planning among others. Surprisingly the Regional Minister could not mention the names of these Chinese contractors. Mr. Amenowode added that the designing of the entire layout of the university land and the access roads were on going, stating that the designs of the Administration block, Science Laboratory and some lecture halls were ready. He said the Chinese, who are going to build the structures, were holding meetings to understand the topography of the area and how to make the designs fit the conditions of the area while maintaining the natural state of the land. Meanwhile, the construction of the temporary campus of the university is at an advanced stage. Four out of five bungalows proposed for the Registrar, Assistant Registrar, a Finance Officer and other top officials have almost been completed while the last one is at the foundation stage. The temporary lecture hall, ICT centre and administration block would be completed soon. These structures are located near the Volta Regional Hospital also known as �Trfalga Hospital.� Two buildings at the Residency Annex on top of the Klefe Mountain in Ho belonging to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council were being renovated for the Vice Chancellor and the Pro vice-Chancellor. A three-storey flat made up of 34 two-bedroom accommodation along the Ho-Kpetoe main road belonging to the Ministry of Health has also been taken over by the university to house its lecturers. This was made possible after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry and the University Implementing Committee, the regional Minister stated. The Regional Minister, during the tour, reiterated that the university would use the temporary structures which according to him, were at advanced stages of completion. He called on all and sundry, particularly indigenes of the region, to be patient to ensure that the university takes off without hitches. From Fred Duodu, Ho