Five University of Ghana students currently doing a year abroad in Russia sponsored by Ghana Government seem to be having their ‘manila in Moscow’ when they dragged the National Executive Committee of NUGS-Russia before the Judicial Committee of the student union concerning an illegally overcharged dues they were made to pay by the NEC of NUGS-Russia as well as the failure of the President of the union to appoint them to privileged committees as stated in the students’constitution.

The five-member Judiciary Committee condemned the actions of the NEC and ruled unanimously in favor of the visiting Legon students. The Judiciary realised the innocent students on their very day of arrival had been overcharged the dues collected from them by the NEC. The students who were met on arrival by the President of NUGS-Russia Mr Frank Adusei Poku and Vice Mr Shinebrian Tsar were later charged $35 instead of $20 as is always done and as agreed by the union. A unanimous Judgement delivered by the unions Judiciary asked the NEC to return the extra monies charged, offer a public apology to the visiting Legon students on behalf of the union and pay them a visit to entrench friendship, solidarity and goodwill. The President of the union who is credited with the working of the students constitution for the very first time as his greatest achievement however rejected the ruling on the grounds that the Judiciary should have insisted on an out of court settlement in order not to embarrass his ‘no-mean a committee’- NEC. The Chairman of the Judiciary one Edward Addo was criticized by the President and secretary Mr Abakah Prince for prejudicial statements referring to some actions of the NEC as ‘unreasonable’. The Legon students had earlier rejected an out-of-court settlements proposed by the NEC citing threats and rude intimidatory approaches by some elements of the NEC which caused them to think justice may not be done out-of-court. The President who has barely 2-days to leave office is said to have indicated he would neither pay back the illegally charged money to the students nor offer any public apology until the Judiciary orders the Legonites to re-submit the case for another trial… though the stipulated time for an appeal as stated in the students’ constitution had elapsed. The judiciary has dismissed the President's fiat as ‘infantile’ stating that their Judgement stands because the union erred and must return the illegally taken money to the Legonites immediately with an apology. Beyond the facade of public bravado and show-manship, an attempt by the student President to arrange a private visit to the Legon students to make the payment to them has been rejected by the students who have made it clear to him that he is in contempt of his judiciary and should offer the public apology first before any payments. The Legonites represented by a very articulate ‘Vandal’ of Commonwealth Hall Mr. Selikem Gotah have boycotted some activities of the union, stating that their primary interest is not the money but the joy of seeing their fellow Ghanaians and future leaders respecting their own constitutions and rule of law at this youthful stage, maintaining that the lawfulness or otherwise of students at the University level is what they carry to work places in the service of our dear Ghana.

Meanwhile credible sources indicate that Mr. Godwin Adukpo has returned the charged extra money to the Legon students with an apology in his capacity as the Finance Secretary of the union to ensure there is REAL sanity, orderliness, unity and justice for all union members. The NEC is expected by the student body to follow suit with a public apology to the Legonites.

BY: Prince Osei Agyeman, Moscow (Former Vandal), princeagyeman94@gmail.com