Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Yaw Gyampo is not happy with a directive from the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum with regards to the margin by which fees of the University are increased for the 2022/2023 academic year.
The University spokesperson argues the Minister’s directive is illegal adding that, the only minister that is given the authority by law to order on fees of University is the Minister of Finance and not the Education Minister.
Speaking on Citi FM’s ‘Eye Witness News’, the political science lecturer said if government has anything to do to save students from the hardship, it should rather implement policies and programmes for all Ghanaians to be cushioned.
“It is important for us to point out the fact that in ACT 1080, the only minister that is given the authority over fees is the Minister of Finance and not the Education Minister. The University of Ghana has done what is within the law and any directive that insists we do the contrary will be asking us to be perpetuating an illegality. With the greatest of respect to the Education Minister, he cannot order public universities to do what is illegal. We haven’t done anything, and we are not ready to do any illegal thing at this moment.”
He added that the tag of insensitivity cannot be used against the University of Ghana because the institution has financially friendly measures to meet students in their hour of need.
He added, “Previously, students were required to pay seventy percent of their fees before they are allowed to register, but we had to reduce that to fifty percent, so they can pay. Even beyond this arrangement, we have the Students’ Financial Office that is willing to provide financial support to brilliant but needy students. Government subventions are in arrears and even the little that comes is only used to pay the salaries of workers and so universities are now asked to pay their own utilities and buildings on campus are cracking, and we are supposed to mend them, and we need money to attend to these things to keep the institutions running.”
