Students ‘happy’ with Okudzeto’s nomination

Students’ Representative Councils (SRCs) of the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast and University of Development Studies have expressed joy at the nomination of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as Deputy Minister of Education.

According to them, not only is the nomination another opportunity of Mr Ablakwa to serve his country but also his experience as a one-time student leader makes him conversant with the challenges confronting the Ghanaian student today.

“What even excites us the more is the fact that he has once been on the forefront of the fight for academic freedom and intellectual liberty at the highest level when he was the President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS). We are hopeful that he is still conversant with the challenges students faced at his time and what pertains now,” a joint statement signed by the SRC Presidents of the three institutions read.

They, however, indicated that they expect the former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) to strike a good balance between challenges of students and teachers as well as allied workers like Teachers and Educational Workers Union and Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA).

“While at the Ministry of Education, we would like him to continuously remind his Minister of the need for transformation in our educational sector to suit national development needs and offer every support towards the attainment of such. As a matter of urgency we wish that he gives huge attention to the two sets of final year students who are sitting the WASSCE exams this year, taking pragmatic steps to avert any inconveniences that may come with respect to admissions into the Universities.”

The student leaders expressed confidence in the competence of Mr Ablakwa.

“With the legacies he left as a student leader and an activist, we have no doubt he will excel.”

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency was last Friday nominated alongside four others to serve in deputy ministerial positions in the John Dramani Mahama-led government.