Parliament to decide on scrapping of 2021 fees for tertiary students tomorrow – Speaker

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has ruled that members in the House will decide on the motion to scrap the payment of entrance and admission fees by tertiary students for the 2021 academic year on Wednesday, January 20.

Acknowledging and reading out the motion to the House, Mr Bagbin admonished Members of Parliament to participate effectively to have a commendable debate on the matter when it is presented on Wednesday.

Earlier, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, to seek approval to move a motion that will have the House request President Akufo-Addo to take steps to suspend the payment of fees by first-year and continuing tertiary students for the 2021 academic year.

“That this House resolves to request the President of the Republic of Ghana to take urgent steps to suspend the payment of admission fees by new entrants into public tertiary education institutions and continuing students of those institutions for the 2021 academic year as part of the national COVID relief programmes being implemented by Government,” portions of Mahama Ayariga’s letter reads.

Speaking further about the development to journalists, the MP for Bawku Central indicated that he was hopeful to receive strong support from both sides of the House to the motion, since the effect of the global pandemic was consistent with every household in the country, regardless of party affiliation.

“…I expect to get a bipartisan support on this matter because this reality that COVID has constrained household incomes to the extent that the President in implementing some measures, has included paying the water bills of families for them, paying electricity bills of families for them.

“And if things are so bad that the state is taking on the payment of water bills and electricity bills of households, can you imagine the implications of household incomes if you request them to pay fees to tertiary institutions…” he added.

Responding to how students in private universities will benefit from the motion if passed, Mr Ayariga posited that if the House is able to successfully debate on the provision of a lump sum to the schools, such entities may benefit.

He was, however, quick to add that they cannot ask proprietors of private tertiary institutions to suspend the collection of fees since they are privately managed.