Let's help solve national problems - Private universities

Accra, Nov. 29, GNA - The Private Universities Students Association of Ghana (PUSAG) on Tuesday called for a new breed of students' leaderships that would contribute ideas towards the solutions of national problems instead of criticising blindly.

"Ghana needs a type of student movement, which is dedicated, modest, honest and informed; a student movement that abhors greed and detests vanity; a new type of students whose humility is their strength and whose integrity is their greatness," " Mr Jeff Dugbasah, President of PUSAG said.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Mr Dugbasah asked students bodies to adhere to non-violent means of resolving problems with authorities, adopt workable negotiation skills with the Government and prove enterprising leadership to fellow students so that they could help build the nation.

At the press conference called to dilate on issues that affected private universities, Mr Dugbasah thanked the Government for donating buses to nine private educational institutions. However, he asked the Government to expedite measures to amend the GETFUND Act to allow private institutions to benefit fully from the fund. He said Parliament must also avoid all forms of bureaucracy in the amendment of the Act so that PUSAG members, their parents and guardians, who were all taxpayers, could benefit from the Fund to meet their educational needs.

PUSAG further called on the Government to partner with private universities to provide relevant programmes and courses needed for the development of Ghana's economy to boost government's human resource development agenda.

On the 2006 Budget Statement, PUSAG expressed worry that it was silent on private universities and there was no clear provision for such institutions.

The Association said the Budget sought to mention only the donation of nine buses to private institutions, which had already been donated in 2005, and said members were even confused as to whether there was any provision for private universities at all. On PUSAG's relationship with the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Mr Dugbasah explained that the Association had never been a registered bloc of NUGS but rather had been and would maintain its bilateral relationship with NUGS, since the two have different orientations in respect of aims and objectives. He said until PUSAG amended its constitution it could not be formally registered with NUGS.

PUSAG announced that there would be a forum for higher private tertiary institutions in January to discuss and make recommendations to the Government on how it could assist private universities to effectively complement education in Ghana. It would recommend at the forum to the Government to institute a body that would regulate private universities on their classification and fees. 29 Nov. 05