Seek accountability from your leaders before losing your conscience - Students told

The General Secretary of the National Health Students' Association of Ghana (NAHSAG), Maxwell Attah has implored students countrywide to demand accountability from their leaders before they steal their conscience.

He said some leaders have hidden under the pretext of democracy to siphon the scarce resources meant to underpin the development of student skills, adding, "the only way to avert the phenomenon is to demand accountability from the students' leadership timely."

He mentioned that as much as members of NAHSAG are obliged to pay their dues they must seek accountability. He noted that the health student association is on the brink of collapsing after a section of pioneering blocs seceded from the group due to bad governance in previous years. He, therefore, admonished students not to shirk their constitutional responsibilities in this turbulent time in order to succour the association.

Mr Attah made the remarks at the first NAHSAG general assembly meeting and healthcare entrepreneur seminar held at Sunyani Technical University (STU) in the Bono Region over the weekend.

He bemoaned how some National Executive Officers (NEO) deliberately breached constitutional regulations to satisfy their personal gains.

He accused the current president of being lawless after she incessantly flawed the group’s constitution especially article 29, 11(f)(iii) and standing order 7(a) in order to have the upper hand and embezzle funds.

"Our immediate predecessors who started their administration with zero accounts left a debt of GH¢14,282.47 without proper accountability, sadly, the president has virtually foiled every attempt to bring them on board to give the gavel-to-gavel account of 2020/21 fiscal year," he quizzed.

"There is a sign of misappropriation and embezzlement that require justification; meanwhile, the president is fighting the course of action. I cannot fathom this, Is it because she was part of the former administration or she intends to replicate the same ill will?" he added.

He argued that the Resource Person for the pre-general assembly seminar, Mr Kofi Koranteng underscored accountability, transparency and commitment as fundamentals of good leadership; and urged attendees to be a signpost of the previously mentioned values, but what "a section of us" especially those at high table demonstrated afterwards is not just intellectual dishonesty but a democratic insult.

In Maxwell Attah's opinion, NAHSAG can only thrive if its leadership allow the constitution to be their guide and do the needful.

He further urged the national executives to desist from activities that will deepen the polarization of the various member institutions.