General News of Saturday, 14 June 2003

Source: GNA

KNUST Branch of NPP opposed to full fees recovery

Kumasi, June 14, GNA- The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated categorically, that it was fully opposed to the full fees recovery policy at the University level.

Mr Kofi Asante, Chairman of the KNUST branch of the NPP, said it is the conviction of the branch that such a policy, if implemented, will only deny the average Ghanaian access to higher education.

Mr Asante stated this at a public forum, organised by the KNUST branch of the NPP in Kumasi on Friday.

The forum was on the topic "NPP Government's Policy on Higher Education, the Way Forward".

The Chairman said it is the view of the branch that instead of shifting the burden of shouldering the full fees to students, the Governm! ent itself should take care of that.

Mr Asante also complained about the manner in which the GETFUND was being administered since according to him, the appropriate institution that controls the GETFUND was yet to be known, while its budget too has never been made open.

Addressing the forum, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, (MCE) appealed to the University Authorities to make use of the skilled and trained manpower as well as professionals, to generate funds to support physical developments on campus rather than solely relying on Government for everything.

The KMA Boss observed that the Universities could use their research works to generate funds and also employ their professional architects to design and construct buildings either for residential accommodation or as lecture halls.

"As a University of Science and Technology, KNUST has all the relevant manpower and materials to initiate developments on its own, all that is needed is commitment", Mr Jumah stressed.

Mr Samuel Cudjoe, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, entreated Ghanaians to be more creative and productive, since it is only through productivity that the country could move forward.