‘Gov’t should communicate plans on suspension of tertiary fees to us’- NUGS  

Mr Isaac Hydes, president of NUGS says if the government cannot absorb all the fees, it can take part of it and reduce the financial pressure on students and parents.

‘Gov’t should communicate plans on suspension of tertiary fees to us’- NUGS  
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The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) wants the Government of Ghana to communicate its plans on the suspension of tertiary fees to the student body with the reopening of schools.

This comes after the Bawku Central MP wrote to the office of the Speaker of Parliament, Honorable Alban Bagbin to request approval to move a motion for the suspension of the payment of admission fees for tertiary students in the 2020/21 academic year.

Mahama Ayariga premised the urgency for the motion on the recent reopening of schools where students who have gained admission are requested to make payments before they are admitted.

The NUGS has endorsed the motion and want Parliament to consider it with urgency. Speaking on the issue with Ark news, Isaac Jay-Hyde, president of the student body, indicated the government should communicate its plans to them because schools are reopened and students are paying fees already.

According to him, if the government cannot absorb all the fees, it can take part of it and reduce the financial pressure on students and parents since those from the rural parts of the country struggle to even raise admission fees.

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"The reality of the issue is that we believe that government is a stakeholder and has certain responsibility towards students," he said.

"Revenues to the State were down as a result of the covid-19 which affected businesses. There were balance of trade deficits, so many jobs were liquidated during the pandemic aside the elections. That is why we are defining the need for this decision to the government.

He also outlined some of the reasons why they endorsed the motion filed by the Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga.

"We have the implementation of free SHS beneficiaries at the University. Some of these students could not afford to pay their fees in High school, how much more in the tertiary. Measures must be put in place to help them further their education and that is what we seek.

"The elimination of guarantor ship when students pick out the student loan is a good initiative by government aside that, the scholarship for students by the scholarship secretariat extended to cover others is fair, notwithstanding all this, the proposal by Honorable Mahama Ayariga would help students if it is accepted and implemented."