Ghanaian Students in Senegal On Strike

All the Ghanaian Students on the one year abroad programme are on sit-down strike. This follows their inability to purchase the set books for the programme in theU niversity of Dakar in Senegal.

According to a cross section of the students I spoke to, their monthly allowance of 80,000 CFA plus a book allowance of $100.00 is woefully inadequate.The students used to take 80,000 for the past fivey ears,and considering the cost of living in Dakar, this money is only good for two weeks. Besides, monies for all educational trips have been withdrawn. What is more,they have become a point of ridicule as other nationals in the class do not face this problem.Askedif they have reported to the authorities back home, they lamented that whoever is responsible has been passing the buck.

The government blames the Scholarship Secretariat,who pushes the blame to the Embassy inC onakry who further shifts blame to the Consellor in Dakar.

Several calls and faxes to Accra had proved futile and to save their face they have resolved to stray in the halls of residence than go to class and be embarresed because they do not have the set books.

In a related development,it is alleged that their counterparts in Benin are given a monthly allowance of 135,000 CFA. The goverment must come to their aid as they have become laughing stocks. In my presence, a Senegalese student remarked, "If your country is HIPIC, why didn't your government cancel the trip than put you to this shame".