Tamale (Northern Region) 29 Nov. '99 - Students of the University for Development Studies have resolved not to pay academic facility user fees alongside residential user and registration fees.

"We cannot pay for what we do not have", the students declared in a statement to the Vice Chancellor, Professor R.B. Benning, copied to Parliament, National Council for Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Education and other institutions.

The statement signed by the President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Samuel Akwaka and the local NUGS President, Bernard Tetteh-Dumanya, asked all fresh students and continuing students not to pay the fees.

The University is due to commence the 1999/2000 academic year on Tuesday 30 November, for fresh students and 6th December, for continuing students.

The SRC said that unlike the other universities, UDS has virtually nothing of its own. "Since its inception in May 1992, it has been thriving on old and dilapidated structures inherited from the Nyankpala Agriculture College and IFCAT at Navrongo".

The statement described the two campuses as "nothing but make-do ad-hoc resorts."

The students said apart from inadequate lecture halls, the university does not have a laboratory and depends on the science resource centres of senior secondary schools while the Medical School, which uses facilities of the Nurses Training School faces ejection.

None of the university authorities could be reached for their comments.