The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has slagged off some public tertiary institutions for charging “unapproved” fees for the 2022/2023 academic year.
According to the mother students’ body, the institutions have already started implementing new fees above the 15% threshold approved by Parliament under the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022 (Act 1080).
The Union named the University of Ghana (UG), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and others, at a news conference, for “leading the charge of illegalities”.
“The student front is unhappy about the levels of fees in this country and that is very straightforward. We are still here with a number of public institutions glaringly disregarding the parliament of Ghana,” NUGS President Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo said.
In light of the mounting unrest and agitations at the various levels of the student front, Master Larbi-Ampofo continued, "Unfortunately, laying the bed of illegality is not a pattern that must be created by leaders of institutions.
The Union demanded an immediate end to "unapproved" charges made by the institutions, warning against "blatant" disrespect for the authorized 15% barrier.
Additionally, it requests that institutions allow students to pay 50% of fees and register for classes and housing while "paying the outstanding amount over the period of the academic year."
"It is crucial that the state's organizations and mechanisms make sure that schools follow the rules. In order to secure the welfare and protection of the most vulnerable members of society, it is also crucial that the authorities designated to do so carry out the state's monitoring and enforcement tasks.
Therefore, NUGS has called on all tertiary students not to pay any fees increased above the threshold of 15%.
“We can all do the maths. Stick with 15% maximum [because] you break no law by not following an illegality,” Master Larbi-Ampofo charged.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana
