Legon students boycott lectures

Students of the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, on Tuesday started a 48-hour boycott of lectures to back their demand for the payment of the SSNIT loan scheme.

Mr. Ken Gomado, President of the Students' Representative Council (SRC), told the GNA that "after 48 hours, if we do not hear anything from the government, we will charge."

At about 9 AM, some of the students, wearing red head and hand bands and led by the SRC, stormed the various lecture halls and disrupted lectures.

By 10 AM, all the lecture halls had been locked as the students chanted protest songs and waved placards some of which read "our loans", "no loans, no lectures" and "if no loans then ku me preko."

They gathered at the main entrance of the university and threatened to damage any vehicle coming in or going out.

They also mounted roadblocks on all other access routes to the campus. The Legon police, who attempted to enter the campus were prevented by the stone-throwing students.

They retreated and took position in front of the station opposite the university's main entrance. Mr. Gomado said the SRC sought the permission from the police on Monday evening to present a petition to the SSNIT district office at Legon on Tuesday "but we were refused on the basis that our application was late."

He said the police told them that the law prescribes five days notice before they could be allowed to embark on such an activity outside campus.

"We have given a copy of our petition to the university authorities, who are very much concerned about our plight," he said.

Mr. Gomado said examination timetables are out and students have only four weeks to prepare for examinations but many of them do not have money to acquire learning materials.

Two students, Mr. Addo Danquah and Mr. Joachim Aryeetey, complained to the GNA that they have been living on charity for the past one month. The university authorities could not be reached for their comments.