Students of the University of Cape Coast have served notice that they are not in a position to pay for their cost of utility.

According to the them, they have observed that management of the various universities have come under pressure to bill students with the utility change.

“Clearly it comes to us students that university management is acting on external pressure both from the utility service providers and government.

“We believe that this is a clear attempt to truncate the educational lives of the poor Ghanaian students. We want to by this medium express our STRONG DISPLEASURE on recent happenings, after our students’ leadership was informed about plans advanced to bill students of UCC with the utility charge and not just UCC, information reaching us clearly indicates that there are attempts of management of other schools to levy students with the said charge.”

The students in a statement signed by Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo, SRC President said the students will resist any attempt to foist on them GHC 300-1000 extra as utility charge.

Below is the full statement

Colleagues, it is a sad moment for the Ghanaian student as in the quest to obtain knowledge to serve our dear nation, we stand a great price to pay. Our dreams of gaining knowledge is threatened by the people we believed and hoped to receive assurance with regards to our hopes for a brighter future, and this very people sadly seem unconcerned.

We do not intend to, by this message blame anyone but we want to clearly state our position on Government’s actions and inactions to get the Ghanaian student to bear the COST of UTILITY,” it is not as if we have the money and we are refusing to pay but the truth is that we as students and financiers of our education, the cost of utility in the running of our educational facility is too much , WE JUST CANT PAY” .

In the last few weeks, we have observed as our various university management have come under intense PRESSURE to bill students with the utility change.

Again information reaching us clearly indicate that the Ghanaian student stand the risk of paying between 300-1000 cedis extra as utility charge.

Now our logical question is that how on earth does Government expect that the poor trader, or the poor fisher folk from Apewosika, the farmer at Bole and several other struggling parents pay this in addition to the ever increasing fees?

How do we expect an orphan to raise such an amount? Our cry is no longer the cry of one institution but the cry of all Ghanaian students

What we are humbly expecting government to do if truly they are not playing politics with our rights is to come clear and strong on this topic and let the world know that they are on the stand that students shouldn’t pay.

A colleague student as I write this, my heart is troubled knowing that some powerful men of our era wants to cut down our dreams of attaining higher education.

On behalf of voiceless students’ we shall RESIST THE OPPRESSORS’ RULE ,our humble plea is that the government comes to our aid by strengthening the COST SHARING policy and taking off this utility bill from the already burdened poor student

We also hope to see the action of all student stakeholders of national development: churches, civil rights, NGO’s, parliament, not forgetting all student mother unions USAG, NUGS among others

As leaders of our front we know clearly we will come under attack but we REMAIN RESOLUTE and firm on these issues that threatens the educational life of our people

We hope to stand together in this good course .Our RESOLVE REMAINS UNBROKEN in the light of this NECESSITY

We shall not pay utility bill simply because we cannot pay. PERIOD……

#Y3NTUA_utility

Yours in students’ service

Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo

(UCC SRC PRESIDENT)