Mr. President,
I would first of all congratulate you on being vindicated by our Supreme Court of the land as the rightfully elected president of Ghana in the eight months long legal battle challenging your legitimacy.
It
is a fact that our country has gone through some stretches of darkness in the
past months most visibly in key sectors of our economy most especially in the
labour front. I have no slightest of doubt in your illustrious leadership and
firmly believe as you have promised; you would create conducive environment and
a just society where opportunities abound for all manner of persons.
Sir, education throughout history has proven to be the drive of accelerating development of every nation. Owing to the premium that is placed on education, our 1992 constitution in its wisdom states categorically in article 25 (1) (c) that, “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view of achieving the full realization of that right; (c) high education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education."
Contrary to this provision in our constitution, tertiary level education in Ghana has undergone political manipulation and vilification and has thus being reduced to political football. Some politicians are bend on frustrating the whole system to make political capital out of it.
Besides the mundane annual surge in fees which is disincentive to many students from poor background and therefore disenfranchise them the right to education, the limited job opportunities in our labour market is already a migraine to many students in our tertiary institution. I have asked many of my colleagues the kind of job they would do after graduation and the answer I often get is that the person would scratch his or her head and say miserable that, “I may be a politician”. The question that I often ask myself is, “is politics a profession?” With due respect Sir, these problems have already hung many students future in the balance, but constant strike by university teachers has become a slap in the face and gives us a great cause to worry.
Mr. President, last academic year students in our public universities forfeited close to twenty days in their academic calendar owing to the strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). As if that is not enough, we have just begun another academic year only to be greeted by yet long protracted strike. We are about twenty-five days into the new academic year but our fate is still in a standstill because of this strike action.
Sir, it appears the institutions in this country that are mandated under our constitution to uphold the rights of the Ghanaian students are heartless about their welfare. Sorry, but I cannot help but employ a little blunt and brash words.
It is reported that the Vice Chancellors Association of Ghana (VCG) have tried to negotiate with UTAG members to rescind their strike but that has not yielded fruit. I would also commend the University of Ghana UTAG members for calling off their strike. It is my hope that the other universities would follow suit.
Sir, in as much as UTAG members may be inconsiderate in their demands; must we students pay that price? Of course not, sir, I am appealing to your high office to intervene and help save the situation. Your outfit and the Fair Wages Commission must fast–track measures and reach amicable agreement with our lectures to get them back to the lecture halls. The continuous tug of war because government and UTAG members are beginning to reach intolerable level and must cease to save the future of students.
I am with the utmost hope that, this letter would meet your kindest consideration
.
GOD BLESS UCC, GOD BLESS GHANA
Writer:
Abdul-Karim Mohammed A
B.A. Communication Studies,
University of Cape-Coast,
Email:
Abdulkarimmohammed@yahoo.com
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