Accra, March 18, GNA - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) presidents of the various universities on Wednesday appealed to the government to facilitate the payment of their SSNIT student loans as soon as possible.

They also called for "an appreciable increment" in the loan, since the amount currently being given to students "is nothing to write home about in terms of economic value". This was contained in a statement released by Mr Francis Appea, University of Cape Coast, Mr Frank Ababio Agyapong, University of Ghana, Mr Frank Wilberforce, University of Education, Winneba, and Mr Reuben Amuakwa, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The statement said the various secretariats of NUGS were dissatisfied with the delay in the release of their "life blood" on campus - the students' loan.

It said since the Universities reopened in mid-January, 2009, students had still not received their money. "This has indeed made life unbearable for students on campuses. This is because over 80 per cent of beneficiaries of the scheme rely on the loan as their main source of livelihood on campus," the statement said.

The student leaders said their information was that the GETFund had not released funds to the Loan Trust Fund and that funds had not been released by government. They called for a resolution of the matter in one week. They appealed to students to exercise restraint while the issue was resolved.