User fees must be increased- Prof Sarpong

Professor Ofori Sarpong, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, at the weekend called on the government to allow the University to increase the current 150,000 cedis user fee being paid by students.

The Chancellor who did not however, propose the percentage of increment said with the financial problems facing the University it has become necessary for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to assist the government to meet its yearly budget.

Prof. Sarpong who was speaking on an Accra radio station, Peace FM last Saturday said although the University's budget last year was 250 billion cedis the government provided 63 billion cedis.

On accommodation, Prof. Sarpong said the problem has become so acute that some students were alleged to be "selling their beds to their colleagues for one million cedis a semester".

He said poor remuneration was making it very difficult for the university to attract young lectures, and this is putting pressure on those at post.

Prof. Sarpong said to solve the problem, the university has to increase its post-retirement contract programme, from five years to 10 years to enable it to make use of the expertise of aged lectures.

He stated that some of the departments lacked the needed equipment to operate efficiently and mentioned the English Language Department, which he said did not have even one computer.