So many years ago, the land of my fathers saw a new light; a strong beam in their eyes, and their world was born a new. The land was green and beautiful and the sun was just over their heads but in their minds were deep darkness and their hearts bleeding war and terror. One day, after a hunting session, disappointed with the attitudes of grass-cutters and squirrels in the bush, they came out of the forest to see the awakening of a new dawn in their lives. Far away on the ocean came a precious gift from the gods; a reward of dedicated worship after many years of animal and human sacrifices. They may not have to hunt again or worry if the rains did not fall. The gods have answered their prayers.
As the supposed gift slowly approached the shore, natives gathered and priests offered prayers. What is so mighty and huge like this? They kept asking themselves. And as they kept waiting to know what was contained in that huge box, men like themselves but with different skin color came out of it and together the natives said, 'wooohh! The gods themselves have come to visit'.They took their gods home and gave them places to sleep for the night.
The following day, before the villagers were awake; their supposed gods were already up surveying the land. What were they looking for? Not many would have asked. But the chiefs of the surrounding villages sent delegations to the house of the gods to find out if they needed anything. It was difficult communicating the message but the gods managed to tell them by sign language that they needed a place to build castles and forts and were also searching for treasures. By custom the gods were above everybody on the land and so the chiefs ordered that lands be given to them immediately. What are the gods up to...? Some of my grandfathers may have asked. In just about a week the gods had taken over everything on the land and that was the birth of colonialism in Africa.
Colonialism did suffer oppositions. For example in West Africa, the Ashanti Empire strongly opposed colonial rule but after so many years of a fruitless struggle they selfishly went in bed with the British to trade gold for guns to expand their empire. In so doing, they also became a subject of dictatorship. In South Africa, the Zulus were also a strong force to reckon with.
In precolonial Africa, there were many dark centuries of war and Empires were built and empires were broken. A big cloud of superstition ruled the lives of Africans. Anything unusual was a curse or a punishment from the gods.So says historians.But according to historians too civilization did start in Africa. That still remains a hypothesis anyway or may be just something to console Africa of it's misfortunes. Egypt ,because of the strip of land between it and the Jews did benefit them an over flow of the creators blessings. But what is Egypt today? Imperialists, preaching the gospel of democracy have succeeded in infiltrating into the political sphere of Egypt in a blood pour uprising. After the long fought years of Africans against their colonial masters to claim independence, has there been any significant change from it's precolonial or colonial era? Of-course not! The situation has not changed much. Tribal segregation, war, corruption, greediness and Nepotism is what is ruling Africa today. Africa is still under colonial rule. As the selfish few struggle over power at the expense of life, the imperialists countries come in for resources and give them guns to kill more souls.
The drama in African politics may not interest any rational thinking individual since it has always been the same old situation of war and corruption. George Orwell's book 'Animal Farm' best describe the situation in most African countries where claimers of independence became the gods of their land. Men who minded not even if people have to die to make them retain power. Men who traded conscience for money and power. African politics today is even a subject of mockery for most imperialist countries. Who benefits if Serie Leone is in war today? Those who need the diamonds most.
Although Africa has benefited much from colonization there were terrified years of slavery and blood pour. But has blood pouring and slavery ceased in Africa? Interestingly, colonization itself is not a thing of the past. Neocolonialism is now the refined form of colonialism; where imperialist nations have to dictate to other nations through the control of economy. sadly, Africa has always been the major sufferer. It is undeniable that colonization did offer Africa something to stand on to propel its development. Especially the introduction of western education and knowledge was a piece for breakfast but lunch and super was to come from our own efforts. Education has in indeed helped improve the acumen of some Africans but to what extent has it improved the standards of living of the majority? Many Africans can't even get access to education. Illiteracy is still the devil of our time since it has contributed to many of Africa's political and economic problems. Illiteracy is even the cause of many behavioral deviations that has contributed much to the developmental problems in Africa. People freely at anytime can build up attitudes that gradually develops into some form of culture inhibiting growth and development. Waste Management situation in a country like Ghana is suffering from such attitudes and behaviors. Anybody at all can begin damping waste into a nearby river or piece of land and others will eventually join and in effect create health and other problems for people. Well counting the problems of Africa is an infinite exercise but relating the problems to the cause is muscle relaxing.
Governments have failed and they keep failing because the history of Africa is what it is today.
Logically, I believe it is wise for Africa to think of directing equal attention to emancipation just as infrastructural development. Africa has not fully emancipated from slavery and dictatorship and that is the major reason why it is not developing. Economically, Africa will continue to be the weaker one if it does not with immediate effect direct attention to human capital development and reborn it's education to meet the growing demand of industries to open job opportunities for it's citizens. Africa must open doors for trade but must restrict the influx of foreign goods and rather promote local ones. In so doing we emancipate ourselves from economic dictatorship. The IMF and the world are instituted structures to control the world's economy at the benefit of some nations. Politically, the sovereignty of most African nations has not been protected by it's union. African problems must be solved the African way through dialogue and understanding and even when it becomes possible for stubborn ones like Gaddafi to be uprooted with force, it shouldn't be the duty of NATO as it has happened already. We are responsible for each life that was lost in any war in Africa. If there is an international court of justice, there must be an African court of justice to rule the affairs of africans. We must be the rulers of our own lives.
united we stand; together we fall.
to be reviewed.........
eugene
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
GHANA IN A STATE OF COMA; MILLS-MAHAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED!!
We are pregnant and it is now time to deliver! Sometimes it is trivial telling people how dirty someone is when the linen is already washed in public. But shameless people will find means to defend why they are dirty and try to make sense out of it; clouding the minds of innocent and some ignorant men to reason and take precautions although the consequences of such filth is already known to all. It is mystifying to hear some shameless NDC officials, state protocols, foot soldiers and some of their sympathizers sit on radio and television to talk on issues of national development when the good people of Ghana know well that, the inhibitors of development itself has been the Mills/Mahama administration. The NPP youth being so tolerant of any political nonsense, have for so long engorged our stomachs with intimidation, pain and deceit and it is now time to squeeze them out. It is undeniable that the consciences of some Ghanaians have been stolen due to ignorance and pettiness and a typical example is the so called foot soldiers that have been denied the right to education just because their state of ignorance has been a powerful instrument for the NDC in claiming power. The truth may hurt so much but when it is told it heals many wounds. We, the members of TESCON have diagnosed our country Ghana and aside the many diseases it is suffering from, the major ones being poverty and corruption, it has also fallen in a state of coma. A huge blow of administrative failure by the NDC government has collapsed development and it is obvious they don’t have the needed technical know-how to revive the situation. Many Ghanaians are wearying. Our mothers are wallowing on the streets, doctors are crying and so are teachers, nurses, lecturers and general manual workers. The pathetic nature of Ghana’s development in the past three years has made it necessary for us to also add our voices to the many calls on government to respond immediately to situations and as well demand answers to some incidences which occurred some months past. There are countless imperative issues to address but we will use this volume to deal with the very stimulating ones.
VIOLENCE AND DISORDERLINESS
First and foremost, a country becomes ungovernable when the cognitive thread relating thought to moral behavior of even a minority of its citizens are damaged. This has been clearly demonstrated by this current government in diverse number of ways when they failed to control but to support violence and disorder in their favor. It is just by wisdom that the NPP, the major opposition party did not react to some of the dreadful acts perpetrated by the NDC government, if not; the whole country would have gone haywire. One such incidence was the chereponi bi-election where a whole national security official had to shoot openly into the crowd causing fatal injuries to ordinary citizens and up till date he has not been persecuted. Then followed the Atiwa bi-elections where the NDC had to employ ‘matwo’ men to cause mayhem and intimidate voters. In that same elections another heartless pompous beast of the NDC, Anita De-Souso who happen to be their national women’s organizer ordered her driver to run over resident of Atiwa who had gathered causing serious injuries. We have also not forgotten of the brutal incidence at ‘Abobloshie’ market where foot soldiers had to butcher people in cold blood. We are asking the president to revisit these incidences and let the law takes it cause although his incompetency in dealing with such situations is now unquestionable.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND CORRUPTION
The bible says in John 10: 10 that “the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy”. Let us put it this way, that you fired your electrician who was in process of fixing your computer and hired a new one who deceived you that he could do it better. And soon after him getting the computer into his workshop, you realized the computer is completely damaged. He then claims owner of it. How bitter an experience it is, right? The economic freedom of Ghanaians has been stolen from them and we are now being intimidated in every sphere of life. Sadly, it is even so difficult getting just a skimpy meal on the tables of many families. And as students a comfortable condition to study is even too big a demand. Yet, state protocols and common party officials of the NDC are lavishly displaying wealth and extravagance everywhere. Dr. Hannah Biwsu is one typical example. The chapter of Muntaka Mubarak’s scandal was also out-rightly closed by the president by justifying the actions of the then minister of sports as only natural. Someone who travelled with his girlfriend under state expenses? Does it mean the tax payers money has since been used to promote promiscuity? Annoyingly, after a hard day’s work in our eagerness to get home whiles in traffic we hear sirens everywhere only to see a common government appointee of the NDC or some common NDC party official passing in a convoy. Such actions were even criticized by the founder of the NDC, Jerry Rawlings. The Mills/Mahama government has shown no commitment in fighting corruption even when there are clear evidences of corruption at every sector of government. Drug barons are even being acquitted and granted bails when they are caught.
TRIBAL AND RELIGIOUS SEGREGATION
President Mills who claims to be a devoted Christian has actively created a divide a rule tactics in governing this nation ever since he assumed office. The consistency to which this has been done is even amazing. They have succeeded in dividing the Ga traditional council into political lines by inciting some of the families to over throw the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah II. The national security coordinator Gbevlo Lartey and the Greater Accra Regional were warned by the Ga Mantse to stop meddling with their chieftaincy affairs. The national security adviser was also accused of fomenting trouble for the Omanhene of Winneba and scheming for his removal. The student front has also been polarized by the government. The national union of Ghana students (NUGS) is one major sufferer. The deputy minister of education has taken stand in the NUGS crisis and has even supported his brother Osman Ayariga to contribute to the aggravating conflict. In all this conscience has been seen to compromise with cheap political favor from the NDC government. President Mills has also on countless occasions addressed Ghanaians as “my brothers and sisters in Christ” knowing well enough that there are Muslims and traditional worshipers in the country and every individual has his or her right of worship so far as he or she does not infringe on the right of others. It is only prudent for the president to acknowledge other religions than directing all his speeches to Christians. Ghanaians must be seen as one people despite our differences. Interestingly, this so called Christian has not been able to declare his stand on Gay marriages. A good Christian would have at lrast come out to condemn the act. What hypocrisy?
There are countless number of stinking issues to throw on the media but in due time many of them will be properly addressed. The flaws of the NDC government are unpardonable. Ghana is in coma and it is of no doubt that only Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo can rescue the situation if the mandate.
VIOLENCE AND DISORDERLINESS
First and foremost, a country becomes ungovernable when the cognitive thread relating thought to moral behavior of even a minority of its citizens are damaged. This has been clearly demonstrated by this current government in diverse number of ways when they failed to control but to support violence and disorder in their favor. It is just by wisdom that the NPP, the major opposition party did not react to some of the dreadful acts perpetrated by the NDC government, if not; the whole country would have gone haywire. One such incidence was the chereponi bi-election where a whole national security official had to shoot openly into the crowd causing fatal injuries to ordinary citizens and up till date he has not been persecuted. Then followed the Atiwa bi-elections where the NDC had to employ ‘matwo’ men to cause mayhem and intimidate voters. In that same elections another heartless pompous beast of the NDC, Anita De-Souso who happen to be their national women’s organizer ordered her driver to run over resident of Atiwa who had gathered causing serious injuries. We have also not forgotten of the brutal incidence at ‘Abobloshie’ market where foot soldiers had to butcher people in cold blood. We are asking the president to revisit these incidences and let the law takes it cause although his incompetency in dealing with such situations is now unquestionable.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND CORRUPTION
The bible says in John 10: 10 that “the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy”. Let us put it this way, that you fired your electrician who was in process of fixing your computer and hired a new one who deceived you that he could do it better. And soon after him getting the computer into his workshop, you realized the computer is completely damaged. He then claims owner of it. How bitter an experience it is, right? The economic freedom of Ghanaians has been stolen from them and we are now being intimidated in every sphere of life. Sadly, it is even so difficult getting just a skimpy meal on the tables of many families. And as students a comfortable condition to study is even too big a demand. Yet, state protocols and common party officials of the NDC are lavishly displaying wealth and extravagance everywhere. Dr. Hannah Biwsu is one typical example. The chapter of Muntaka Mubarak’s scandal was also out-rightly closed by the president by justifying the actions of the then minister of sports as only natural. Someone who travelled with his girlfriend under state expenses? Does it mean the tax payers money has since been used to promote promiscuity? Annoyingly, after a hard day’s work in our eagerness to get home whiles in traffic we hear sirens everywhere only to see a common government appointee of the NDC or some common NDC party official passing in a convoy. Such actions were even criticized by the founder of the NDC, Jerry Rawlings. The Mills/Mahama government has shown no commitment in fighting corruption even when there are clear evidences of corruption at every sector of government. Drug barons are even being acquitted and granted bails when they are caught.
TRIBAL AND RELIGIOUS SEGREGATION
President Mills who claims to be a devoted Christian has actively created a divide a rule tactics in governing this nation ever since he assumed office. The consistency to which this has been done is even amazing. They have succeeded in dividing the Ga traditional council into political lines by inciting some of the families to over throw the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah II. The national security coordinator Gbevlo Lartey and the Greater Accra Regional were warned by the Ga Mantse to stop meddling with their chieftaincy affairs. The national security adviser was also accused of fomenting trouble for the Omanhene of Winneba and scheming for his removal. The student front has also been polarized by the government. The national union of Ghana students (NUGS) is one major sufferer. The deputy minister of education has taken stand in the NUGS crisis and has even supported his brother Osman Ayariga to contribute to the aggravating conflict. In all this conscience has been seen to compromise with cheap political favor from the NDC government. President Mills has also on countless occasions addressed Ghanaians as “my brothers and sisters in Christ” knowing well enough that there are Muslims and traditional worshipers in the country and every individual has his or her right of worship so far as he or she does not infringe on the right of others. It is only prudent for the president to acknowledge other religions than directing all his speeches to Christians. Ghanaians must be seen as one people despite our differences. Interestingly, this so called Christian has not been able to declare his stand on Gay marriages. A good Christian would have at lrast come out to condemn the act. What hypocrisy?
There are countless number of stinking issues to throw on the media but in due time many of them will be properly addressed. The flaws of the NDC government are unpardonable. Ghana is in coma and it is of no doubt that only Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo can rescue the situation if the mandate.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
102ND ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KWAME NKRUMAH WHAT ARE WE STUDENTS CELEBRATING? FULFILLED OR FAILED EDUCATIONAL POLICIES?
The appendage of Nkrumah’s birthday as a national holiday is perhaps the most outstanding contribution of President Atta Mills’ government towards promoting patriotism in the country. We commend government for such a bold and noble initiative. Considering the hero that Nkrumah is, it is of good purpose that the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) gives him a much wider recognition even as we celebrate him today. Nkrumah indeed laid a very strong foundation which left our country Ghana, with no excuse not to have prospered after fifty-four (54) long years.
It is unarguable that Nkrumah should be celebrated for his invaluable contribution towards developing education in this country, but the fact still remains that he has not been duly honoured as a hero. He suffered not just a coup d’état, but also an overthrow of his vision and policies for the good people of Ghana. NUGS strongly believes that there is no better way to honour a hero like Nkrumah than putting his good policies into practice. As students, we look back on the educational policies of Nkrumah with a sense of pride and dignity and find a worthy cause to celebrate him; conversely, the prevailing conditions of education in Ghana today provide a very austere deviation from the path to sustainable education as developed by Nkrumah.
It is instructive to use this occasion to reflect on the policies and strategies Nkrumah’s government adopted to pursue his vision for educational development in the country; also it is important to take a break to assess our performance as a country in respect of our educational advancement. Of our nation’s few tertiary institutions, Nkrumah alone assisted in establishing the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Cape Coast. In addition to these, he established the Ghana Secondary Schools across the length and breadth of the country.
Under Nkrumah’s government, development of education was to achieve three primary goals. And they are:
1. To produce a scientifically literate population
2. To tackle mainly the environmental causes of low productivity
3. To produce knowledge to harness Ghana’s economic potential
We must then ask ourselves how close we have come as a nation in achieving these goals. We will for the mean time comment on the first goal of Nkrumah’s educational development plan and later revisit the entire post and pre-independence educational policies.
Producing scientifically literate population
Scientific literacy must translate into productivity and industrial boost in Ghana, leaving little room for unemployment complaints. In Nkrumah’s address to the legislative council two days before the declaration of independence, he stated that, “we must seek an African view of the African problem. This does not mean western techniques and methods are not applicable to Africa. It does mean, however, that in Ghana we must look at every problem from the African point of view…our whole educational system must be geared towards producing scientifically-technically minded people.”
Following the establishment of the ten polytechnics and a few technical and vocational institutions set up by the former President Rawlings’s regime, less attention has been paid to these sectors of education. Former President Kuffour’s government has also contributed to technical education through infrastructural and logistical support in this regard. The previous government also instituted the capitation grant and school feeding programme. In spite of these efforts to boost education, the country still has a wide deficit of technical know-how and very little is being done about it today.
Today, we are told KNUST offers 60% science/technology and 40% arts/business courses; we have every cause to worry with this trend. The science and technology departments have not significantly reflected on the development of this nation and we believe a number of reasons have amounted to this. These include outdated curriculum, lack of teaching and learning materials, inadequate research and practical equipment, lack of laboratory facilities to meet the growing student population and many others.
Many science students leave our campuses with little or no productive knowledge but rather imbibed formulae and theories. The question is, if our graduates cannot come up with projects to solve problems of sewage management, energy, agricultural production, transportation, pollution etc, then, who should? Nkrumah’s educational agenda was aimed at reducing poverty through economic productivity riding on the back of science and technology but where do we stand today as a nation?
Here, we are reminded of the words of Dr. Edward Mahama “I am far from poverty not because I was born into a rich family but because Dr. Kwame Nkrumah gave me an education”
We deeply acknowledge efforts made by previous and present governments to provide sound education to citizens of this country but we cannot also overlook the fact that a lot more needs to be done. The present educational establishment is one that has witnessed a multitude of challenges such as lack of accessibility and affordability, financial austerity, and the lack of improvement of physical facilities. We still have over 3000 schools under trees, subventions to educational institutions are scanty and all the burden seem to have been put on the GETFund which was initially established to supplement education in the country.
Whereas these challenges pose a serious threat to our development as a nation, the major challenge is the lack of the prioritization of education which remains a peril at the pinnacle of educational development in the country.
In line with celebrating this day, we pray all students to use this occasion to reflect on these noble educational objectives of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and hopefully become ambassadors of the Nkrumah agenda for an industrialized Ghana via science and technology.
We hope that government will adopt a blueprint for quality education in line with Nkrumah’s development agenda for attaining a wholly literate Ghana within the shortest possible time.
Signed:
Courage Nobi Peter Kwasi Kodjie
(General Secretary) (President)
(Tel: 0242879028)
It is unarguable that Nkrumah should be celebrated for his invaluable contribution towards developing education in this country, but the fact still remains that he has not been duly honoured as a hero. He suffered not just a coup d’état, but also an overthrow of his vision and policies for the good people of Ghana. NUGS strongly believes that there is no better way to honour a hero like Nkrumah than putting his good policies into practice. As students, we look back on the educational policies of Nkrumah with a sense of pride and dignity and find a worthy cause to celebrate him; conversely, the prevailing conditions of education in Ghana today provide a very austere deviation from the path to sustainable education as developed by Nkrumah.
It is instructive to use this occasion to reflect on the policies and strategies Nkrumah’s government adopted to pursue his vision for educational development in the country; also it is important to take a break to assess our performance as a country in respect of our educational advancement. Of our nation’s few tertiary institutions, Nkrumah alone assisted in establishing the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Cape Coast. In addition to these, he established the Ghana Secondary Schools across the length and breadth of the country.
Under Nkrumah’s government, development of education was to achieve three primary goals. And they are:
1. To produce a scientifically literate population
2. To tackle mainly the environmental causes of low productivity
3. To produce knowledge to harness Ghana’s economic potential
We must then ask ourselves how close we have come as a nation in achieving these goals. We will for the mean time comment on the first goal of Nkrumah’s educational development plan and later revisit the entire post and pre-independence educational policies.
Producing scientifically literate population
Scientific literacy must translate into productivity and industrial boost in Ghana, leaving little room for unemployment complaints. In Nkrumah’s address to the legislative council two days before the declaration of independence, he stated that, “we must seek an African view of the African problem. This does not mean western techniques and methods are not applicable to Africa. It does mean, however, that in Ghana we must look at every problem from the African point of view…our whole educational system must be geared towards producing scientifically-technically minded people.”
Following the establishment of the ten polytechnics and a few technical and vocational institutions set up by the former President Rawlings’s regime, less attention has been paid to these sectors of education. Former President Kuffour’s government has also contributed to technical education through infrastructural and logistical support in this regard. The previous government also instituted the capitation grant and school feeding programme. In spite of these efforts to boost education, the country still has a wide deficit of technical know-how and very little is being done about it today.
Today, we are told KNUST offers 60% science/technology and 40% arts/business courses; we have every cause to worry with this trend. The science and technology departments have not significantly reflected on the development of this nation and we believe a number of reasons have amounted to this. These include outdated curriculum, lack of teaching and learning materials, inadequate research and practical equipment, lack of laboratory facilities to meet the growing student population and many others.
Many science students leave our campuses with little or no productive knowledge but rather imbibed formulae and theories. The question is, if our graduates cannot come up with projects to solve problems of sewage management, energy, agricultural production, transportation, pollution etc, then, who should? Nkrumah’s educational agenda was aimed at reducing poverty through economic productivity riding on the back of science and technology but where do we stand today as a nation?
Here, we are reminded of the words of Dr. Edward Mahama “I am far from poverty not because I was born into a rich family but because Dr. Kwame Nkrumah gave me an education”
We deeply acknowledge efforts made by previous and present governments to provide sound education to citizens of this country but we cannot also overlook the fact that a lot more needs to be done. The present educational establishment is one that has witnessed a multitude of challenges such as lack of accessibility and affordability, financial austerity, and the lack of improvement of physical facilities. We still have over 3000 schools under trees, subventions to educational institutions are scanty and all the burden seem to have been put on the GETFund which was initially established to supplement education in the country.
Whereas these challenges pose a serious threat to our development as a nation, the major challenge is the lack of the prioritization of education which remains a peril at the pinnacle of educational development in the country.
In line with celebrating this day, we pray all students to use this occasion to reflect on these noble educational objectives of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and hopefully become ambassadors of the Nkrumah agenda for an industrialized Ghana via science and technology.
We hope that government will adopt a blueprint for quality education in line with Nkrumah’s development agenda for attaining a wholly literate Ghana within the shortest possible time.
Signed:
Courage Nobi Peter Kwasi Kodjie
(General Secretary) (President)
(Tel: 0242879028)
NDC MONOPOLIZES NUGS!
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has for the past year been very dormant and has completely lost its credibility as a pressure group for and on behalf of the noble students of this country due to political party infiltration and monopolization. It is held that the NDC as a political party and some state functionaries financially supported some group of executives to ostensibly remove the legitimately elected NUGS President, Mr. Anthony Abotsi Afriyie on no constitutional or reasonable grounds and sought to replace him with one Hamza Suhuyini, (the junior brother of Alhassan Suhuyini – the Radio Gold host of “Alhaji and Alhaji” programme) who lost the elections to Mr. Abotsi at the NUGS Congress held at Wa.
This has created some confusion in the media as to who the legitimate NUGS president is. The two personalities have clashed on several occasions at programmes where the NUGS President was needed to represent students. This action, which is some sort of political ‘mafia’ has been strongly opposed by many students across the country, but due to Hamza Suhuyini’s supposed political party affiliation with the incumbent government, he has remained adamant to the legitimate concerns raised by various student leaders and activists across the nation, to stop holding himself as President of the Union.
It is barely a year now since this power struggle between Hamza and Abotsi began and is now time to draw down the curtains of this administration of NUGS and the question that many students are asking is whether two congresses will be held this year to elect two set of executives or not. If two congresses are held, what becomes of NUGS today? The battle is between one faction of NUGS controlled by the NDC and another faction spearheaded by Mr. Abotsi, a non-extremist of any political party, who has consistently stood for the good course of students.
Although majority of the institutions in NUGS have strongly rejected Hamza Suhini’s claim as the president of the Union, information gathered here is that letters have been distributed to various institutions inviting them to Congress with the appended signature of Hamza Suhini as the president of the Union. 2012 is an election year and all plans are being put in place by Hamza’s faction of NUGS to make sure NDC candidates take over the union to inhibit the woes and cries of students from getting to the media, since an expression of any of such plights will be to the disadvantage of the NDC government in the 2012 general elections.
This was clearly exhibited during a demonstration staged by University of Ghana students to protest the astronomical increases in academic facility user fees. Writings on the placards to be used for the demonstration were deliberately changed by that faction of NUGS to protect their government, thereby apportioning all blames to the Vice Chancellor.
Secondly, going through names in contest of the positions available in their congress, it is of no doubt that it would be purely another NDC congress especially with names like Osmanu Ayariga, the junior brother of Mahama Ayariga, the Deputy Minister Of Education, being pushed so hard for the presidential position.
Flipping through the chronicles of NUGS, the last time such impeachment was done was during Okudjeto Ablakwa’s reign as the NUGS president. He was impeached but on a very technical and constitutional grounds. After being caught flirting from one political party to another, he decided to remain with the NDC and needlessly on very trivial issues attacked the then NPP government to gain favor from the NDC, the strongest opposition at the time. His actions then, in one way or the other has seen him become a minister of state today. His institution opted out of NUGS and he technically ceased to be the president of NUGS for one Haruna Mahama to act as the president of the Union. Comparing the two impeachment incidences, it is incontrovertible that, Mr. Abotsi is only being frustrated to abandon his position for the NDC guys, who fear same might happen to their government.
Whatever be the case with NUGS today, students are not going to sit-in and watch their mother union being traded for cheap political favor and appointment as Okudjeto did but will rather stand firm on the good principles of conscience against the stomach controlled minds of others to put the various segments of NUGS together. No political party has a stake in NUGS so we ask all political parties to stay off the union.
This has created some confusion in the media as to who the legitimate NUGS president is. The two personalities have clashed on several occasions at programmes where the NUGS President was needed to represent students. This action, which is some sort of political ‘mafia’ has been strongly opposed by many students across the country, but due to Hamza Suhuyini’s supposed political party affiliation with the incumbent government, he has remained adamant to the legitimate concerns raised by various student leaders and activists across the nation, to stop holding himself as President of the Union.
It is barely a year now since this power struggle between Hamza and Abotsi began and is now time to draw down the curtains of this administration of NUGS and the question that many students are asking is whether two congresses will be held this year to elect two set of executives or not. If two congresses are held, what becomes of NUGS today? The battle is between one faction of NUGS controlled by the NDC and another faction spearheaded by Mr. Abotsi, a non-extremist of any political party, who has consistently stood for the good course of students.
Although majority of the institutions in NUGS have strongly rejected Hamza Suhini’s claim as the president of the Union, information gathered here is that letters have been distributed to various institutions inviting them to Congress with the appended signature of Hamza Suhini as the president of the Union. 2012 is an election year and all plans are being put in place by Hamza’s faction of NUGS to make sure NDC candidates take over the union to inhibit the woes and cries of students from getting to the media, since an expression of any of such plights will be to the disadvantage of the NDC government in the 2012 general elections.
This was clearly exhibited during a demonstration staged by University of Ghana students to protest the astronomical increases in academic facility user fees. Writings on the placards to be used for the demonstration were deliberately changed by that faction of NUGS to protect their government, thereby apportioning all blames to the Vice Chancellor.
Secondly, going through names in contest of the positions available in their congress, it is of no doubt that it would be purely another NDC congress especially with names like Osmanu Ayariga, the junior brother of Mahama Ayariga, the Deputy Minister Of Education, being pushed so hard for the presidential position.
Flipping through the chronicles of NUGS, the last time such impeachment was done was during Okudjeto Ablakwa’s reign as the NUGS president. He was impeached but on a very technical and constitutional grounds. After being caught flirting from one political party to another, he decided to remain with the NDC and needlessly on very trivial issues attacked the then NPP government to gain favor from the NDC, the strongest opposition at the time. His actions then, in one way or the other has seen him become a minister of state today. His institution opted out of NUGS and he technically ceased to be the president of NUGS for one Haruna Mahama to act as the president of the Union. Comparing the two impeachment incidences, it is incontrovertible that, Mr. Abotsi is only being frustrated to abandon his position for the NDC guys, who fear same might happen to their government.
Whatever be the case with NUGS today, students are not going to sit-in and watch their mother union being traded for cheap political favor and appointment as Okudjeto did but will rather stand firm on the good principles of conscience against the stomach controlled minds of others to put the various segments of NUGS together. No political party has a stake in NUGS so we ask all political parties to stay off the union.
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