Regional News of Friday, 16 May 2014

Source: tv3network.com

Legon students decry high fees

Students of the University of Ghana’s Accra City Campus (UG-ACC) have condemned the "exorbitant" fees charged by authorities, claiming it is against the constitution of the country.

The students argue that the original purpose for which the institution was established has shifted and so, they must be made to pay the same fees as their mates at the main campus, Legon Campus.

At a meeting with journalists on Thursday, May 15, President of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) at UG-ACC Frederick Ahiable said efforts to get authorities to arrest the rising fees have proven futile.

"The SRC has met many stakeholders involved in our quest to arrest the sky-rocketing school fees paid on our campus...but all these attempts have not in anyway yielded any better results."

Quoting the late Minister of Education Kwadwo Baah Wiredu in 2004 when UG-ACC was inaugurated, Mr Ahiable said: “The current state of the school fees charged at UG-ACC has clearly revealed that the promise of hope for the poor and the needy students has been thrown away completely and out of reach.”

He said the situation has made deferment and drop-out rates rising on the campus.

“The UG-ACC students are being marginalized to a great extent.”

The students are, therefore, calling on government and stakeholders “to come to our aid”.