National delegate congress of GUPS opens

Accra, July 31, GNA - Mr Isaac Villars, the Outgoing Interim President of Ghana Union Professional Students (GUPS), on Thursday called for the re-structuring of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) to embrace other students unions to tighten and strengthen the bonds of Ghanaian students.

Mr Villars, who was speaking at the national delegates' conference of GUPS in Accra, said the re-structuring was necessary to avert unnecessary hardships that Ghanaian students were currently facing. The four-day congress was on the theme: "Professionalism and Discipline: Tools for Economic Growth."

The GUPS with its maiden name "Specialised Institution" is an association of all accredited professional institutions in the country, which had been in existence for over 25 years as one of the blocs of NUGS.

It currently has about 12 professional institutes as members. Mr Villars said the congress "is a wake up call towards the re-vamping of the once very vibrant bloc of NUGS, which has relaxed over the years" and called on the delegates to work hard on their various campuses towards achieving the aim.

Mr Thomas K. Kankam, Acting Dean of Students, Institute of Professional Students (IPS), said Ghana needed professionals to improve the socio-economic growth of the country and urged the union to put in more efforts to enable them to achieve their objectives.

Mr Justice Appiah, Deputy Director of IPS, advised the members not to always consider their numbers but how to impact on others on their campuses to sustain the existence of the union.

Mr Divine Selassie Sikanku, Outgoing Interim Organiser, said the time had come for all students unions irrespective of their numbers to be engaged in deciding policies that concerned the welfare of Ghana students.

He, therefore, stressed the need to strengthen the front line of students unions to ensure that all stakeholders had a say in the socio-economic and academic development of every students. Mr Emmanuel Abugah-Williams, President of IPS Students

Representative Council, urged professionals to fight corruption, which was eating fast into the fabrics of the Ghanaian society.