UCC UTAG stays out of lectures

Cape Coast, May 15, GNA - Lecturers at the University of Cape Coast on Monday stayed away from lectures at the start a one-week strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).

The UTAG resorted to the action to back its demand for improved salaries and working conditions. During a visit to the UCC Campus, the GNA found out that although almost all the lecture rooms were open, there were no classes while a few students were found doing their own studies.

Some of the students GNA talked to said they would wait until next Monday to decide whether to stay on campus or go home. They expressed concern about the low remuneration of lecturers and said that lecturers are over-burdened and need to be treated better.

Mr Augustine Atta-Poku, a second year psychology student, said he went to the lecture theatre in the morning but the lecturer did not turn adding that if nothing positive is heard from the lecturers by the next Monday he would leave for home.

According to him most of his colleagues have gone home to save the little money they have instead of loitering since they could not predict the outcome of the strike action.

Mr Edward Adason Koffie, a final year science student noted that the university already lacks lecturers because the low pay, which makes it unattractive for others to become lecturers.

The students were unanimous that apart from the disruption of the academic calendar, the backlog of students waiting to enter the university is another problem that must be considered.

A lecturer questioned why a professor should be paid as low as 400,000 cedis a month and is expected to put in his best. The lecturer called on the government to promptly respond to the demands of UTAG to forestall any further disruptions of the academic calendar.

Earlier in a telephone interview with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Emmanuel Addo Obeng, he said the executives of the UCC branch of UTAG are attending a meeting with the national executives. He said that he could not comment on the situation until the outcome of that meeting.