"We Cannot Run University On a Govt Promise" -VC

THE University of Ghana has flouted the government’s directive to accept the old user fees from its students this academic year.

The stand of the university is causing confusion over the payment of the fees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, has stated that the government’s demand can only work if it pays fully the rebate it has promised to absorb on behalf of the students.

The students insist on paying the old fees, based on the promise by the government to absorb the difference in the increase.

Explaining the stand of the university in an interview in Accra yesterday, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, said “we cannot run the university on a government promise”.

He said the release of government subventions to the university has been inconsistent and woefully inadequate for some time now.

The Minister of Education, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, on his part, gave the assurance that the government will soon fulfil its obligations to the universities, following the increase in the user fees.

In the meantime, he has asked the university authorities to make do with the release of the outstanding rebate of about ?5 billion for the 2000 academic year to carry out other obligations.

In an interview, the minister gave the breakdown of the money as follows: University of Ghana, ?1,225,722,000; University of Cape Coast (UCC), ?924,906,000; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), ?1,250,943,000, University College of Education Winneba (UCEW) , ?914,850,000, and University of Development Studies (UDS), ?88,938,000.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said an emergency meeting with the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) has been scheduled for today to discuss the modalities for the release of the rebate to the universities.

He explained that it is not the intention of the government or the ministry to unnecessarily delay funds meant to run the universities, saying, “Since the money is coming from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GET Fund), Cabinet will have to agree on the figures for onward submission to Parliament for approval”.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi expressed the hope that when Parliament resumes in October, the matter will be given urgent consideration.

Last week, the minister sent a memorandum to Vice Chancellors and Principals, directing them to accept from students the Academic Facility User Fees (AFUF) and Residential Facility User Fees (RFUF) levels for 2001/2002 as approved by the government.

The memorandum asked them to submit claims in respect of the shortfall representing the rebate to the Ministry of Education, through the National Council for Tertiary Education (NTCE) for reimbursement.

The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Ghana last week reminded students of the university that payment of user fees must be made strictly in line with the government’s approved figures announced recently by the Minister of Education.

It said it has noticed with deep concern the contradictions pertaining to the payment of fees this academic year.

Throwing more light on the difficulties faced by the university, the Vice Chancellor said out of the ?29.8 billion expected from the government to cover emoluments from January to August, this year, only ?26.3 billion was released, leaving a deficit of ?3.5 billion.

He said while a subvention of ?4.8 billion was expected from the government to cover the cost of administration, during the same period, only ?1.5 billion was released, leaving the university with a deficit of ?3.2 billion.

According to Professor Addae-Mensah, the government has not released any subvention to the university, for general services and development, for which a total of ?1.387 billion was required for the January to August period.

He recalled that sometime last year, the government promised to bear the 30 per cent increase in the user fees, “but it took eight months of several memos to the government before the funds were finally released, and that was just last Friday”.

The Vice Chancellor said the Academic Board of the University was not part of the negotiation which preceded the government’s announcement that it will absorb the increases in the user fees.

“The negotiation was purely between the government and the Students Representatives Council”, he added.

Professor Addae-Mensah said the university is seriously in need of funds to carry out repairs on some of the halls of residence, even before the beginning of the academic year.

He made it clear that the university will not change its stand over the new user fees, adding that the Minister of Education cannot dictate to the university in such matters.

“The university would like all students to note that they are expected to pay either 50 per cent of Academic Facility User Fees (AFUF) plus other approved charges before they are allowed to register for the first semester of this academic year”, Professor Addae-Mensah said.

He stated that any refund due students as a result of the government rebate on AFUF and Residential Facilities User Fees will only be paid after the government has made appropriate releases to the university.

“The government can only appeal to us in such matters, or tell us about general policies”, the Vice Chancellor said.

Investigations by the Graphic revealed that some fresh students are paying the new user fees.

The continuing students, who started registering on Friday, have been asked by the university authorities to pay up the fees in full or lose their places at the halls of residence to those on the waiting list.