STUDENTS of the University of Ghana, Legon, yesterday held workers of various organisations at the Gulf House, near the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout in Accra, hostage for four hours to press home their demand for the release of their loans.
Clad in red attire and bands, chanting war songs and carrying placards some of which read, “Starvation is terrorism,” “10 weeks in hell,” “Osama bin Akumfi,” “ What is the use of the EDUFund?” “ Rest in Peace Positive Change,” “SSNIT is an ally of Al Quaeda,” “Legon is not Afghanistan,” the students disrupted activities of all the 16 organisations in the five storey building.
Earlier, the students, numbering about 300, blocked the main access road to campus, thereby causing heavy traffic jam on the Legon-Tetteh Quarshie road.
The students later marched to the Gulf House which is about two-and-half miles from the campus, blocked all the entry and exits points, and prevented cars from entering or leaving the premises, while some of them blocked the main entrance to the five storey building.
Others also sat on the cars within the premises, while some removed most of the parking signs.
However, personnel of the Accra Police Command, led by the Commander, Dr K. K. Marfo, managed to control the students to ensure that there was no damage to life and property.
In an interview, the Students Representative Council President, Mr Benjamin Ampomah-Boateng, said the students have opted for the streets, because for about 10 months now, SSNIT has failed to pay their loans to them.
According to him, the situation, coupled with the high cost of living and the harsh economic conditions, have culminated in unbearable conditions of life on campus.
He said for the past one-and-half months, the leadership of the students has constantly been in touch with the SSNIT and the Ministry of Education officials to expedite action on the release of the loans, but to no avail.
Mr Ampomah-Boateng expressed concern about how funds meant for the purchase of learning materials have not been released, even though it is only three weeks for examinations to begin.
Addressing the students later, the General Manager in-charge of Investment and Development Division of SSNIT, Mr B. K. Glymin assured them that his outfit is working around the clock to make the loans available by next Wednesday.
He said employees working on the scheme would be made to work extra hours and on weekends to make sure that the money is made available on time.
Before the students left the premises, they made Mr Glymin to sign an undertaking to the effect that the money will be ready by Wednesday, which he did and read it to the students.
In a related development, the Minister of Education, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, has met the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and representatives of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) to deliberate on the progress made so far on the disbursement of SSNIT loans to eligible students.
It came to light during the meeting that not all eligible tertiary educational institutions have submitted information needed by SSNIT for the processing and disbursement of loans, while a significant per centage of fresh students have also not submitted their inputs to SSNIT.
According to a release issued in Accra today and signed by the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Mr Ahmed Ayuba “ the ministry has requested the National Council for Tertiary Education to liaise with SSNIT to process the payment of loans to continuing students”.
It said a meeting will be convened on Monday, with all the stakeholders to discuss progress made in the submission of all outstanding applications to SSNIT.
The release noted that the Acting General Manager, Finance of SSNIT, Nii Okine Okantey has confirmed to the ministry that “processing of payment to continuing students has commenced and payment should begin by Tuesday, November 13, 2001.
