Students and Politics Ghana – The self seeking student leaders

Our educational institutions have for years been infiltrated by power hungry students who will do anything to be student leaders. These students’ supremacists joggle for leadership positions through fair or foul means. Paradoxically they do that for their own personal gains. Many of these warped mind student leaders use the bare backs of innocent students to reach the cosy top. After realising their dreams they develop amnesia and like the voracious politicians become oblivious of the withered backs that served as their ladders.

What makes the situation more sickening is some students acquire loans or dispose off family heirlooms to fund their inert ambitions. Vote buying and rigging is rife during elections for positions. The level of manipulations that go on at some of these academic institutions is mindboggling. Ironically the same deranged elements carry their obnoxious behaviour to the national level. This explains why are we still marking time with our development agendas because we are often been led by villains and thieves.

Student aluta

An incident happened during our sixth form days at St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast and to me it mirrors events in several other schools in the country. One of our mates apparently had nursed his ambitions to be school prefect since childhood. However when the time came for choosing the school prefect the then headmaster Mr Gyasi Appiah (Asuo) had different idea. Such gracious positions are not given to students who break school rules willy-nilly. It’s not meant for students who sneaked out during curfew hours to meet curvy girls in woody grooves behind Holy Child or Wey Gey Hey campuses. The headmaster threw his support behind a very talented and well disciplined student by the name Pius Mensah. Then hell broke loose.

The hawks in the school will have none of that. They thumped war drums, sang war songs and before long the Asafo warriors of Ogua town were mobilized from all spheres including the Baka (lagoon) enveloping the school. The combat line was drawn. It’s either their favourite candidate or no one else. The headmaster swiftly rescinded his decision to save his head but it was too late for him. Some few months later the hawks had him removed as head.

The prefect of Augusco though did not live in a Taj Maha he had a cosy and well furnished cubicle. He was assured of his weekly rations of milk and sardines from the matron. He had allergies to school dinners unlike the rest of us so special meal was delivered to his cubicle. It’s only an idiot who will allow such a lavish life slip away.

The war drums nearly reverberated when we were in the second year at Legon some few years later. This was during Commonwealth Hall JCR election. Some equally hawkish students led by a powerful vandal wanted their preferred candidate to be the JCR president. These hawks massaged and massacred the election figures in favour of their candidate but father Bacchus intervened. The peoples’ choice Newlove Mamattah won the election. A friend described his triumph as a ‘divine intervention’ because of the intensity of manoeuvring that took place.

Now and then some determined students struggled for leadership roles in JCR, SRC, NUGS, GNUPS etc on our campuses. These guys do not have the magic wand to change fortunes of students. These vermin recognize such positions give them the coupons to grace land. It allows them parade corridors of powers to grass on students in return for freebies. And for that reason the crown must be claimed all cost even if through deceitful means.

Students’ forums

These overtly ambitious students have a cunning way of weaving their way into students’ body politics. Their modus operandus is by being regular speakers at students’ meetings and forums at the hall levels. Commonwealth Hall organised series of such forums at the observatory. Haruna and co were regular contributors. Their contributions were extended to the bigger SRC forum usually at Central Café, Legon.

Bizarrely majority of students just like the larger public are easily influenced by florid speeches and use of ornate English vocabularies. The speakers often ‘chewed’ English vocabularies from the Oxford dictionary and ‘poured’ them out at these forums under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Word, words, meaningless words, ‘fiafitormiasis’, ‘jimijimifoomism’ ‘julorkwakweism’, ‘minimpinim’, ‘bankudinicov’ etc. The forum ground will be set ablaze and students will lose their heads in the process.

Almost immediately the ‘blefo’ speakers become celebrities and warm their way into the hearts of the Volta Hall ladies. With their heads in the clouds the ladies will vote massively for these glory seekers. Just after winning the elections the leaders develop bonds with government in power. Some few years down the line they will become serving ministers of state or diplomats. You see the trend?

Student politics in the UK

I got a bit involved into student politics in UK and I must say I did not witness power struggle on such magnitude. I served as Secretary of Post Graduate Student Union of the University of Hull. I again served briefly on the Student Union of University of Huddersfield among others. During all these times something struck me most. The executive members were so selfless. They focused mostly on getting the job done and also make impact on students’ lives. They don’t think of financial gains or ripping off the system clean. Or grassing students to the government for political favours

Conclusion

It’s very important to admire gifted orators. It’s not everyone who has the skills of keeping audience awake when they are suppose to be sleeping. What we should realise is not all those good speakers have what it takes to bring a change. Some of these glory seekers are just drained barrels making loud noises just in an attempt to reach the top. Students must be on the lookout so as not to be swayed by these honey- tongued speakers who are oblivious just like the politicians of students’ needs.

Francis Kwaku Kuma- Lecturer, Koforidua Polytechnic

Kwakuhull@yahoo.com