PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CONCERNED STUDENTS OF LEGON REGARDING THE ONGOING UTAG STRIKE

It has come to our attention that the University Teachers' Association of Ghana (UTAG) has made a statement of their entrenched reluctance to report to the lecture halls this academic year until Government and other relevant stakeholders make a strong commitment towards "sorting them out".

We the under-signed Concerned Students of the University of Ghana on behalf of the entirety of students across all campuses are deeply appalled, even fearful about this development and would like to plead with our lecturers to rescind their decision and return to the lecture halls. As students, who take most if not all our inspiration from our lecturers, we cannot but be in absolute agreement with our lecturers regarding the unfair and mostly unpleasant treatments that have been metted out to them which necessitated this nation-wide strike action. While we are not that generation that believed our lecturers' reward was in Heaven waiting under a certain Celestial umbrella, we believe that a certain amount of "academic mercy" should be shown to the "innocent and poor" students' Academic Calenders. Students are widely disillusioned, frustrated, despaired and angry about this development.

Again, we would like to call upon The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to as a matter of urgency look into the grievances of FUSSAG, who are threatening another strike action which could spin Universities' academic schedules off gear.

Government on its part must cease being deaf and dumb when it comes to issues of Tertiary education and UTAG for that matter. The Government must be more responsive and committed in that regard. Our nation is in a time and moment when we need a certain degree of calmness to confront the challenging days ahead, and this should be appropriately understood by all Ghanaians. As students, there are times we have had to make painful concessions in dealing with University management, not because we are wrong, but to "preserve the peace"; we therefore call on our lecturers to return to the classroom while their Books and Research allowance impasse is being addressed. We call on the National Peace Council, National House of Chiefs, The Clergy, Civil Society, Vice Chancellors and other well meaning organisations and individuals to plead with our lecturers to kindly return to the classrooms.

For the sake of peace; for the sake of our future and for the love of this country, for the Love of God; we encourage our lecturers to return. We are on their side! Thank you.

SIGNED: MOHAMMED MIKDAD (0244599591)

NKETIA, JOHN KWAKU (0244467896)

JACOB AKONDE (0249912234)

FRANCIS NUTAKOR TETTEH (0266267394)

Cc: VICE CHANCELLOR, (LEGON CAMPUS) UTAG PRESIDENT, (LEGON CAMPUS) UTAG PRESIDENT, (NATIONAL) NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL NATIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS MEDIA HOUSES MINISTER OF EDUCATION NUGS PRESIDENT