Mahama Ayariga calls for relief package for first year students in tertiary institutions

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has called on President Akufo-Addo to provide a coronavirus relief package for first-year university students.

According to him, many students risk missing out on school if the government does not institute a scheme that will help them settle their fees.

Speaking as a panellist on a Citi FM programme, the former Youth and Sports Minister said that some parents who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic are unable to pay the fees of their wards.

This, he says has created a situation where many people who have been offered admission are unable to pay the fees and enjoy tertiary education.

He, therefore, appealed to President Akufo-Addo to design a relief package which will help alleviate the burden on the parents and the students.

“Many young people who have received admission letters are unable to raise the monies to be able to go and pay in order to be admitted. I expect that is consistent with own admission that the Covid circumstances have thrown the economy into certain unfortunate situations where most people have lost their jobs. These young people have admission letters and they will have to go and pay before they are admitted into colleges of education, technical universities and major universities.

“I expect that consistent with the Covid relief measures, the president should come to Parliament urgently with a relief package that enables all these young people who have received to be allowed first to come to school without having to paid those monies to those public universities and then whiles they are in school, we as a country determine how we can the public universities, at least to run within the framework of the Covid economy. Otherwise, many young people will not be able to attend universities” he noted.

President Akufo-Addo, in his 21st address on the coronavirus pandemic, announced the dates for the reopening of schools across the various levels of education.

In line with the President’s directive, most tertiary institutions in the country have resumed full operation.