Okudjeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Education
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has expressed solidarity with graduate students who demonstrated yesterday over their unpaid allowances.
In a statement signed by the union’s coordinating secretary Paul Gyan, the NUGS leadership stated that “we wish to call on all stakeholders, all Ghana students and parents to support the graduate students as they demonstrate to demand for the payment of bursaries.”
Continuing, the students’ body observed that “NUGS has taken keen notice of the discomfort happenings being inflicted on the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), and as the mother union of the student fraternity in Ghana, we deem it a necessity to solidarise with the Graduate students in Ghana to demand for their constitutional right.”
It has been two years since government refused to pay the bursary to the graduate students in Ghana, NUGS said, adding that “these moments have undoubtedly been very frustrating.”
The Graduate students are slapped day in and day out with numerous economic challenges regarding their academic progress in the area of research allowance and other important aspects of their academics, a situation which stampedes a harmonious environment for studies.
“It is also a damage to the corporate image since they are compelled to secure loans with high interest to supplement their research lessons which is increasingly becoming very expensive, NUGS pointed out.
“Our attention has also been drawn to a letter forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for payment to be effected but this has been the attitude of government over the past six years, which is that they will wait for an action to be taken before they see the need to act.”
NUGS, in the statement, told government to treat education with all the seriousness it deserves because education is the backbone of every nation.
“NUGS wishes to passionately add that the expressed disappointments of parents, lecturers, management and graduate students toward this unpleasant happenings at GRASAG may not only affect their academic performance but also affect them psychologically.
“We are making a humble appeal to government and all stakeholders in the educational sector to give the concerns of the students attention without delay because it is becoming an attitude which shakes the foundations of this country.
NUGS therefore supports the leadership of GRASAG to demand an immediate disbursement of funds to enable all graduate students get back to their classrooms and have time for their research engagement, the students body said.
It called on all student unions to support this crusade in the spirit of student solidarity which underpins our collective interest for the love of God and country.
NUGS stressed that “education is and must remain a right rather than a preserve for the few who have the financial support.”