SRC President in Trouble

THE vice-chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Addae-Mensah has angrily asked the SRC President to provide clear evidence on the allegation levelled against him students with aggregate 24 and beyond had been admitted.

Speaking on a UNIIQ FM programme in Accra on the topic "Financing University Education" last Tuesday, Benjamin Asumah, the SRC President of the University of Ghana, Legon alleged that the university authorities had admitted students with aggregate 29, while students with better grades did not gain admission to the university.

"I can vehemently defend my words by proving to you that there are some students in the university with five-Es and one-D", he maintained.

Challenging the vice-chancellor on air, he said the allegation which had been made against the vice-chancellor could be proved provided the students with the said grades corporate by bringing out their certificates.

The Vice-chancellor though could not believe, he warned that such allegations should not be made on air.

However, the SRC President will not find it easy in the school if he could not prove it to the authorities.

But the SRC President protested that students are admitted irrespective of their grades provided the full cost of the tuition could be afforded by the students.

Professor Addae-Mensah, however, said US$585 is spent annually on a single student adding that the training of a student in the university cost the nation an amount equivalent to US$3,000 whilst US$6,000 is spent on medical students.

He stated that whoever is sponsoring a student in the university must make sure that the full cost of the course must be paid.

He suggested that government should give the chance to parents who could afford to sponsor their wards to pursue courses in the university to do so.

He stated that out of the 504 secondary schools in the country, products from 18 secondary schools always perform and qualify to enter the university to pursue better courses.

He said about 97% of children from poor families could not get beyond JSS level, however many of the students in the university are well to do and that some of the families of the student could sponsor their own wards.

He appealed to the District Assemblies to take it as their priorities to sponsor at least 20 students who will be fortunate to qualify for the university.