The Daily Graphic

"Legon faces crises" is the banner headline of the Daily Graphic" The paper reports on the shortage of academic staff of Ghana's premier university, the University of Ghana Legon, which the story says is facing an acute shortage of academic staff to meet the demand of the increasing student enrolment.

While the number of student enrolment increased from 3,000 in 1992 to 10,000 presently, the academic staff dropped from 583 in 1996 to 511 in 1997. An appreciable number of the present academic staff are above 50 years, the paper said.

Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, Vice Chancellor of the University, who is said to have disclosed this in an interview with the Graphic, also said in 1996, 165 of the lectures were between the ages of 51 and 60, while in 1997 the figure rose to 184.

According to the story, in 1997 about 73 of the academic staff either retired or resigned.

"Too much interference in admissions - Afeti" is another front- page story in the paper. According to the story, the Principal of the Ho Polytechnic, Dr. George Afeti has denounced the growing interference by prominent citizens in the admission process of schools in the country.

He said a list of so-called "protocol requests" which is a compilation of names of candidates sponsored by prominent citizen during admissions, have become so entrenched that the admission process is in real danger of losing credibility, transparency and fairness, the paper said.

Dr. Apeti is said to have expressed these concerns at the sixth matriculation ceremony of the polytechnic at Ho on Friday.