Sunyani (B/A), Aug. 13, GNA – The University Students Association of Ghana (USAG), on Thursday appealed to Government to institute a probe into the use of internally generated funds of universities to avoid embezzlement.
The group also asked Parliament to expedite action on the passage of Right to Information Bill to enable Ghanaians to contribute meaningfully to the fight against corruption.
Mr Enoch Anhwere Afoakwah, National President of USAG, made the call at the opening of a four-day Eighth Annual Delegates’ Congress of the association on the theme: “re-engineering the mentality of the youth towards national development: the role of government and the university student”, in Sunyani.
He said that university education was vital to national development but expressed worry that not much had been done to implement educational rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Afoakwah advocated that university education should be made free to prevent hardships that students and parents go through in their quest for higher education.
He said “considering the academic and residential facility user fees of the state owned universities for the 2010/2011 academic year, not to even talk of their private counterparts, the educational rights of the people had not been enforced.”
Mr Afoakwah appealed to Government to ratify the African Youth Charter, institute a national youth commission and sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme and National Youth Employment Programme.
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said that the greatest asset of every development-inclined nation was its youth.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction that modernization, unemployment and breakdown of social support and institutions had fuelled violence and crime among the youth.
Mr Marfo advised students to refrain from drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, cyber crime and alcoholism and adhere to rules and regulations governing educational institutions.
He said that the National Democratic Congress Government as part of its social democratic principles was taking steps to provide educational infrastructure through out the country to enhance teaching and learning.
“As a clear demonstration of government’s commitment to improving and transforming the educational sector to respond to the needs and challenges of the people, government has introduced free uniform for basic pupils policy and increased responsibility allowances for head teachers among others”, Mr. Marfo said.
He said plans to establishment a University of Energy and Natural Resources in the Region had begun with the first batch of students intake scheduled for this month.
Mr Marfo said “this is practical demonstration of the nation’s investment expenditure to mould the youth into quality leaders for tomorrow”.
Source: GhanaWeb
