NUGS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH THE UG PETITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF GHANA STUDENTS' (NUGS) ON THE AFTERMATH OF THE STUDENTS' DEMONSTRATION ON THE HIKE OF STUDENT FEES IN THE UNIVERITY OF GHANA

THE “YENTUA DEMONSTRATION”; WHAT HAS GOVERNMENT DONE?

Students of Ghana waited with an expectant breath at Government for a response to the astronomical increase in the fees of students of University of Ghana most especially when a petition was received on behalf of Government by the Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. Mahama Ayariga during the Wednesday, 27 July, 2011 joint demonstration, which was organized by the Executive Council of the Students Representative Council (SRC), the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) and the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) dubbed 'Yentua' (we will not pay).

We herein submit that, current situation on the Legon campus is a testament of the destructive nature of the silence of stakeholders of our educational system most especially Government.

Today, the views held by the National Union of Ghana Students' (NUGS) and that of the Legon SRC leadership with regard to the unsuitability of the decongestion policy of the Vice Chancellor have been proven right by the number of first year students without accommodation on campus.

The dam of students patience had busted and we cannot wait any longer.

We are by this statement calling on Government;

1. To come out and explain to Ghanaians, what they have done as far as the astronomical 40 per cent increase of the student fees and concerns of students as contained in the petition presented to them are concerned.

2. To call on the officials of the University of Ghana to, as a matter of urgency accommodate the stranded first year students who have duly paid their residential fees charged them.

3. To help put measures in place for curtailing heads of institutions from heaving any charges on students which clearly is not their responsibility. This can be done by putting a ceiling on individual component within the fears as happened in University of Ghana.

It is the hope of the National Union of Ghana Students' (NUGS) that, Government will act tactfully and quick on this “life and death” issue before issues get out of hand.

We call on students in general most especially students of University of Ghana, Legon to be resolute and rally their strengths behind the National Union of Ghana Students' (NUGS) and their SRC leadership even as we attempt to find a lasting solution to the on-going crisis.

May God Bless us all.


Signed



OSMAN AYARIGA                                       AUSTIN BRAKO-POWERS


(PRESIDENT)                                    (PRESS & INFORMATION SECRETARY)

(Tel:0243 84 62 52)                                           (Tel:0242 62 81 64)