Amidst many challenges, the extraordinary congress of the Jirapa Area Students Union came off on the 30th of December, 2016 at the credit Union hall. Students from various institutions both tertiary and second cycle converged to deliberate on pertinent issues relevant for the development of JASU as a union and also to elect a new sector board for the next academic year.
The theme for this year’s congress was “Promoting Health and Education, the Role of the Student”. The special guest of honor was the Honorable District Chief Executive, Mr Cletus Seidu Dapilah.
The program started with an opening prayer by Mr Jude Bongyia. He gave a powerful prayer calling on God to guide members to have a fruitful discussion. Mr Tinus Tuozie was introduced to chair the program for the day. The chairman accepted the task and led the gathering through proceedings.
The National president Mr Pius Doozie welcomed all members to the congress and asked for their cooperation throughout proceedings.
Next on the agenda was a speech by the outgoing president. The president in his speech spelled out the activities he and his colleague executives had planned to execute during their tenure as the sector board. According to him, they intended setting up a JASU secretariat, establishing a Students fund, what do you know competition for tertiary students, debates for SHS students, quizzes for JHS students and many others.
However, a few of these were accomplished due to the financial constraint. Even with the ones executed he was quick to add that those were funded using monies from the pockets of members of the executive board or borrowed from elsewhere with the intention of paying back later.
In fact, Mr Pius mentioned in his speech that the stakeholders of education in the district failed the union woefully. The district assembly showed little interest in the activities of the Union. The least talk about the Member of Parliament the better. “He preferred using his money to campaign directly for votes rather than using it to sponsor student activities in the district”. The Ghana Education Service as usual was not also in a position to help. All these three stakeholders mentioned failed to support the Unions activities financially despite the fact they were served with the Plan of Operation and budget long enough. This therefore had a huge effect on the success of the national sector board in terms of executing its planned activities. Attempts to raise funds from other sources did not also materialized.
The president however entreated the incoming executive board to take up those activities that could not be executed since they will benefit the Union in several ways especially establishment of the JASU secretariat.
The District Chief Executive in his address commended members present for their commitment to the activities of JASU. He apologized for the failure of the District Assembly to support the activities of the Union despite the fact that they were fully aware and have received the Plan of Operation early enough to allocate some funds for that. He also took the opportunity to touch on the security situation in the district taking into perspective the rising state of robbery cases. He entreated members to leave responsible lives and to do all they can to help fight crime in the district since its becoming a nuisance.
JASU KNUST was voted the next sector board and is expected to steer the affairs of the Union for the next academic year.
At A.O.B, members present were allowed to discuss ways of improving the activities of JASU. Members present came out with several suggestions that they think if kept in place will make JASU more proactive. Some including, the setting of a council of elders to advise the National Executive Board, organizing regular meetings, encouraging sub-unions to pay their dues, setting up committees that will audit the activities of NEC and many others.
Members present also drew the attention of the DCE to the several encroachments on government lands taking place in the district. Examples of such encroachment were identified at the Naayiri park, the post office, St. Augustine’s JHS etc.
The congress came to end with a closing prayer and members present moved to the FMM convent to take their refreshment and finally departed to their various destinations.
Handing over will however take place at a dinner on the 2nd of January, 2016. Members were entreated to purchase their tickets at a cool ghc15 for single and ghc25 for couple.

Pius Doozie
Freelance journalist reporting from Jirapa.
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