President Nana Akufo-Addo
“The student movement has closely monitored and learnt a lot from your passion and temerity to able to rid the nation and Africa of this Coronavirus. The student union wishes to commend your efforts; your bold, decisive and extraordinary leadership in these difficult times. We are even more proud to associate with your leadership, because, in 3 years, you have become an African and global icon.”
These were the words of the President of the National Union of Ghana Students, Isaac J. Hyde, when he led a delegation made up of leaders of student unions across the country to honour an invitation by President Akufo-Addo, to Jubilee House on Friday, 24th April, 2020.
Appreciating the efforts of the President in the fight against COVID-19, he said, “a few days ago in a conference of student unions across Africa, one thing was clear.”
“Ghana under your leadership gained commendation as a sub-regional force in adopting a comprehensive and aggressive model for fighting the Corona virus”, he said.
According to him, this clearly means “the future leaders of this country and Africa have endorsed your courageous leadership.”
Occasioned at the behest of the President, the meeting also discussed “the few concerns and recommendations about the new e-learning directives in the education sector” which was introduced following the suspension of the normal school schedule due to the pandemic.
Acknowledging the support that the Ministry of Education has extended to the student union, he said “the leadership of Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh has been forthwith with concerns from the students front, which has seen to the unity of the National Union of Students.
“We also commend the Minister in charge of Tertiary Education, Hon Prof Yankah, for his efforts in engaging the student union. Barely a week ago, we presented a petition raising some concerns across the student front to the outfit of the Ministry of Education.”
“We were very amazed that, in less than 24 hours, we were called into a meeting so that we can put our issues up so that major stakeholders like the National Council for Tertiary Education, the Vice Chancellors Ghana and other relevant stakeholders were brought together as much as possible for our issues to be addressed”, he added.
He indicated that though “all the issues have not been completely dealt with, we are very hopeful.
The sort of attention and recognition given to the issues we presented to the Ministry told us that indeed this is a government that is very much concerned about our education.”