Mahama Haruna has no basis to hold himself as NUGS President - Ablakwa

Accra, April 28, GNA - Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), said on Friday that Mahama Haruna had no basis to hold himself NUGS president.

He said "he does so at his own risk as it amounts to impersonation which is criminal and must face arrest if he does not desist." Mr Ablakwa at a press conference to clarify the recent development in NUGS also urged external forces and powers to keep their hands off the students' movement and noted that Ghanaian students were alert enough to assert their independence, take their own decisions and respect their conscience.

"May I state here that nowhere is it stated in the NUGS constitution that an executive officer must automatically forfeit his position where his institution secedes," he said.

Mr Ablakwa, supported by students from the Commonwealth Hall, who sang and danced around the press centre, before the conference noted that it was refreshing that Commonwealth Hall disassociated its self from the SRC's decision to secede from NUGS

"It is more refreshing to observe that members of the other halls, who make up the SRC, are keeping the same step. The disassociation by the SRC of Accra City Campus from the Legon Campus is also very refreshing.

"The information that the SRC of the Medical School was not part of this decision is a clear case that it is indeed even questionable to claim that the University of Ghana has seceded from NUGS," Mr Ablakwa said.

He announced the convening of an emergency Central Committee meeting on Monday May 1 2006 to address the issues.