Skip to main content

UG students to pay more fees from 2019/2020 academic year

University of Ghana Balm Library
Students of the University of Ghana (UG) may have to brace themselves to pay more fees in the next academic year, as the institution says it is going through financial distress.
Dean of Students, Prof. Godfred Bokpin, says the University has been under-funded from government, a situation that has put a strain on its finances.

This comes after UG students agitated over the possible privatisation of some four halls of residence, following the failure of University Management to pay a ¢43 million loan facility contracted in 2008 for the construction of the halls.

The students who spoke to Joy News say they will resist any attempt by University Management to pass on the cost to them.

They have given government a week’s ultimatum to intervene and solve the problem as they hold discussions with stakeholders.

“We won’t pay and we will be bold to defend this just cause like we have done many times, we will resolve this without destroying any property,” one student said.

“We will not sit idle for things to get out of hand. The private hostels are testaments that a private investor is making enough profit, so we cannot sit down for the hostels to be privatised for someone to make money off us. The prices could go as much as ¢2,500 to ¢3,000 [per academic year],” another student protested.

But the Dean of Student Prof. Godfred Bokpin noted though the University has not decided to privatise the halls, it is seriously considering increasing the fees in the next academic year.

“There isn’t any firm decision to privatise those halls but that proposal has come up for consideration as the university is looking at various options available to enable it to draw down on these facilities.

“Currently, the University does not have a balance sheet and I think increasing fees is available…there is the need to look at the fees students are paying because the university is heavily underfunded by government.”

According to him, the constraint of the school has to be addressed because the last three years Parliament had to step in to determine who has the right to determine the fees.

“So we are still charging fees as low as it was in 2015/2016 academic year. But you will bear with me that prices are not the same now and we have to be realistic with what is on the ground is that we are running down our assets that we are not able to maintain and increase infrastructure,” he said.

He, however, says the committee will invite the university management over the possible privatisation of some four halls of residence when Parliament resumes from recess.


 Source: Myjoyonline.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Invest your profits back into farming - COCOBOD boss to Cocoa Farmers

Joseph Boahen Aidoo is Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has charged cocoa farmers to be business minded in operating their farms and to partake fully in the various programmes introduced by COCOBOD to ensure good farm yields and to increase profits. "Good farming practices, like pruning, the timely application of fertilizers and proper pests control are essential at all times," he said. Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated this while interacting with farmers in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions, on the first day of his week-long tour of cocoa farms across the county. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, as well, as Directors and Research Scientists from COCOBOD. The tour is aimed at assessing the level of farmer participation in the various farm productivity improvement programmes implemented by COCOBOD; it is also...

Stop running commentary on our investigations - A-G warns EOCO

Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, the Attorney-General has asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to open itself to the public but to avoid running commentary on its investigations. According to her speaking in public about their investigations could only frustrates their efforts as well as give out too much information to criminals to change their mode of operations. “Criminals are always waiting to cover their tracks and therefore coming out to speak constantly about a matter, makes it easier for them to cover up and therefore frustrating the outcome of the investigations,” she stressed. She advised that the statutory body should avoid following rumours and suspicions so as not to not embarrass themselves. Ms Akuffo said this at EOCO’s maiden national stakeholders’ forum in Accra aimed at interacting with stakeholders and share information on cases investigated, prosecutions and convictions obtained as well as recoveries and confiscations made. ...

Allowing Benito to Go Unopposed is Unconstitutional - Group

Benito Owusu Bio A group calling itself Concern Youth of Atwima Nwabiagya North are describing it as unconstitutional, attempts by the constituency executives to allow Member of Parliament for the constituency, Hon Benito Owusu Bio to go unopposed in the party’s approaching parliamentary primaries. According to the group, the constituency executives in a series of meetings with the polling station executives concluded that nobody wi ll be allowed to contest the sitting MP, a decision most of the polling station executives are not happy with. Starting from first week of April, the constituency executives will send an endorsement forms to all the polling station executives to sign as they only need 40% and above the MP. Concern youth of Awima Nwabiagya North believes this is totally against the party’s constitution and must be condemned. The major political parties in Ghana have been democratizing their candidate selection process, allowing candidates to be freely selec...