PRESS RELEASE: GOVERNMENT SHOULD RECONSIDER HER DECISION TO REMOVE SUBSIDIES ON UTILITY BILLS FOR PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Governance is all about taking decisions to better the life’s of people, but when those decisions are rather going to worsen the situation and make the cost of education expensive, then we have to be circumspect and proper introspection as well as due diligence must be done to ensure that our living conditions are not exacerbated.

Our notice was drawn to the fact that Government is contemplating of removing all forms of subsidies and Subventions to Public Tertiary Institutions in the country especially the various Public Universities, they have started with Utilities Bills, A move that will only but succeed in aggravating the already perilous woes of tertiary students who are undeniably overburdened with extortionate cost of education in the country.

This Utility Bills will be transferred to Students and hence each Student will pay averagely an additional GH¢ 350.00 for Non-Residents and GH¢450.00 for Residents in addition to his or her fees. Last academic Year, First Year Students pay GH¢1,092.00 as their admission fees. Ceteris Paribus, this year Students will pay GH¢1,542.00 and GH¢1442.00 without cost of Accommodation, cost of food, cost of Handouts etc.

This could serve as a deterrent to prospective University Applicant considering the cost involve. If aggresses remain as they are, then we fear of a low intake in the upcoming potential applicants. Government should consider proroguing its decisions.

This current position of Government will go against the backdrop of which University for Development Studies was established. UDS was established to make University Education accessible and affordable to the People in the North and the country at large.

We are therefore pleading with Government to re-consider her decision regarding the removal of these subsidies and subventions on tertiary Institutions. The plight of the Ghanaian Student is worsening and this move will further create a bleak future to our educational system.

Signed:

Ofosu Emmanuel (SRC President, UDS)

Hubert Adehokey Elorm 

(SRC Vice President, UDS)

Mensah Enoch McRoyal 

(Local NUGS President, UDS)

Karikari Julius Kwabena 

(SRC PRO, UDS)