NUGS urges politicians not to interfere in students' affairs

Accra, Sept. 8, GNA - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), has called on politicians not to interfere in students' affairs but allow them to remain focused.

"The interference of politicians in students' affairs has become a problem in the various universities, it is high time students resisted such a phenomenon," it stressed.

The call was contained in a communiqu=E9 issued at the end of the 45th NUGS Annual Residential Congress and swearing-in of new National Executives at the Islamic University College in Accra.

It was signed by Mr Abotsi Anthony Afriyie, out-going National President, and Mr Michael Docyor Yomoh, Chairman of NUGS Communiqu=E9 Committee.

The Congress was on the theme: 93State Interference and Politicisation of the Student Front, the Status Quo, Its Ramifications and the Way Forward".

It was attended by members of various branches of NUGS to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting students, review activities of the Union and take decisions for the future.

The communiqu=E9 identified that existing partisan groupings in tertiary institutions resulted in the politicisation of local Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.

It noted that the partisan groupings, TESCON, TEIN and TESCHART had become tools for influencing students' elections to satisfy some political parties to the detriment of students' welfare.

"The quest for financial support by aspirants to finance their internal campaign budget for SRC elections has made them vulnerable to the parochial intentions of some politicians who take advantage of the situation to pursue their political agenda," it added.

The communique pointed out that such elected students leaders become "pawns" of politicians neglecting their key responsibilities such as championing the cause of Ghanaian students for which reason they were elected.

It noted that authorities of some tertiary institutions involved themselves indirectly in students' internal electoral affairs through financing preferred candidates, and employing any possible means to have their preferred candidates elected to steer the affairs of students as well as protecting unfavourable policies of authorities.

The communique called on students to ignore people who would attemptto influence them in the pursuit of their constitutional duties, and recommended that proper regulatory mechanisms be instituted to regulate activities of partisan groupings on various campuses.

It said to minimise monetisation of NUGS elections, its constitution should be reviewed to eliminate excessive financing of electioneering campaigns.

"There should be collaborations between various SRCs and students to regulate the conduct of SRC elections," it added.

The communique called on student leaders to shun politicians and authorities who attempted to entice them with favours to support their agenda to the detriment of the collective interest of students.

Elected officers for the 2011/2012 academic year are, Mr Peter Kodjie, President, Mr Courage Nobi, General Secretary, Mr Charles Oduro Kwarteng, Coordinating Secretary and Miss Angela Appiah-Menka, Press and Information Secretary.

The rest are, Mr Kwame Appiah Anti, International Relations Secretary, Mr Patrick Opoku-Mensah, Financial Controller, Nana Kwame Prempeh, Education and Democratisation Secretary, Miss Mary Ofosu Danquah, Women's Commissioner and Mr Evans Adjei, Programmes and Projects