Students kick against payment of utility bills
The Coalition of Tertiary Students Ghana yesterday kicked against the government’s decision to make tertiary students on campus pay utility bills.
The coalition comprises the students of the Wa and Nyankpala campuses of the University for Development Studies (UDS), the University of Mines and Technology, (UMaT), Kumasi and Takoradi Polytechnics. The rest are from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Kumasi Campus.
Threats
At a press conference held at KNUST, the coalition said: “We students and student leaders by this press conference oppose vehemently this ill-thought-through government policy.
“We would resist any attempt by the government to force the hands of students to bear the arrears of utility bills owed by the universities as a consequence of the failure of government to exercise its responsibilities,” they stated.
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The President of the coalition, Duke Aaron Sasu, who is also the President of the KNUST Students Representative Council (SRC), warned that if the policy was not withdrawn immediately, they would, in the coming days, “organise mass student rallies across the country to press home our demand.”
Allegation
The coalition alleged that information it had gathered indicated that the various universities had started billing students for utility for the next academic year.
“And this is outrageously being pegged at an average of GH¢550 per student across tertiary Institutions,” he said.
However, when contacted, the Deputy Registrar of KNUST in charge of University Relations, Mr Vincent A. Ankamah-Lomotey, said “this is not true.”
“We can’t do that. How much do staff pay for utility bills and we will charge students GH¢550?”
Background
The policy, which was announced by the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah, during the Campus Connect series in Kumasi early this month,is the government’s intention to cut down on its expenditure and to ensure equity in the educational front.
Writer’s email: Kwadwo.donkor@graphic.com.gh
