Students demonstrate against college authorities

 Offinso (Ashanti Region) 29 April ?99

Students of Offinso Teacher Training College on Tuesday embarked on a demonstration against the college authorities and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) over alleged illegal deductions from their monthly allowances.

The students held placards some of which read "We are fed up with unnecessary deductions" and "Yentua, Twumasi Ankrah (the Principal) is destroying the college", chanted war songs and paraded through the principal streets of Offinso.

Led by the college's Students Representative Council (SRC), the students presented a petition to Mr Benjamin Brefoh, the District Chief Executive.

An emergency meeting was organised with SCR leaders and other stakeholders at the DCE's office.

Mr Ernest Boakye, the college prefect and SRC spokesman, said at the meeting that the student's grievances were centred on utility bills.

When the SRC met the college authorities on April 26 on the issue, the Principal, Mr Kwame Twumasi Ankrah told them that the college owed 21 million cedis in water and 11 million cedis in electricity bills from October last year to March this year, he recalled.

As a result, he said, each student was to pay 58,000 cedis from his monthly allowances.

Mr Boakye said when the students interrogated officials of the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC) who were disconnecting water facilities on the campus, they collaborated the principal?s claims.

Mr Boakye said the students were again asked to pay a total of 36,000 cedis towards the construction of the college's assembly hall, telephone, PTA dues and general maintenance.

The PTA had earlier billed them to purchase a Mercedez Benz bus at a cost of 21 million cedis which broke down within two months and cannot even be traced now , claimed.

Such arbitrary bills and imposition of PTA dues have been a great concern to the students, Mr Boakye said, adding lack of proper accountability and continuous billing of students compelled them to stage the demonstration.

The District Chief Executive promised to set up a committee to investigate their grievances.

Mr Brefoh regretted the demonstration and said "it is however necessary..."

The MP, a member of the college's board of governors, denied knowledge of any wrong doing and said an emergency board meeting will be held to resolve the issue.

The Principal could however not be contacted because he was said to be out of town.