Wa, Dec 06, GNA - Most students on the Wa campus of the University of Development Studies cannot access the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) loan due to lack of guarantors, Dr Daniel Bagah, the Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Development studies (FIDS), has said.

As a result, he said, the plight of some poor students was deepened as they had limited financial resources to adequately take care of themselves.

Dr Bagah said this on Monday when Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State in-charge Tertiary Education, paid a one-day visit to the campus. He appealed to the minister to help expedite action on the construction of hostel facilities and lecture halls to reduce the burden of students who have to commute from one end to another to attend lectures.

The Dean also appealed to the government to come out with alternatives to the current system where students could only access SSNIT loans with guarantors.

Ms Ohene urged them to educate the students to pay back their loans on completion to enable the guarantors to help other students. She expressed satisfaction at the infrastructure at both the UDS campus and the Wa Polytechnic and promised to develop them to become first class institutions.