National Union Of Ghana Students (nugs) Operates On Two Bank Accounts

Last year, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) was surrounded by a lot of controversy regarding who the legitimate President of NUGS was. There were two factions claiming Presidency of NUGS; Hamza Suhuyini and Anthony Abotsi Afriyie. Hamza Suhuyini paraded himself as the President of NUGS for a while and was given all the media attention when issues bothering the student front was to be discussed. Then Anthony Abotsi Afriyie also surfaced claiming he is the President of NUGS and that the case of who is the legitimate President of NUGS is still pending in court. The impasse in NUGS quietened for awhile then it was time to elect a new President for NUGS so the Hamza Suhuyini faction had a congress and elected Osman Ayariga as President. The other faction led by Anthony Abotsi Afriyie also had a congress and elected Peter Kwasi Kodjie as President.

To some of us who were following this situation in the NUGS, we were of the view that the situation had been resolved. Over the weekend, Peter Kwasi Kodjie, President of NUGS and Nana Abrakwah, Treasure were interviewed on Leadership Corner on Focus Fm by the host of the program, Bernard Buachi. According to Peter Kwasi Kodjie, there are still wrangles within NUGS regarding who the Legitimate President was. He added that efforts have been made from his faction to settle this wrangle by inviting the other faction led by the President Osman Ayariga and proposing a way of settling the issue but the proposal was declined by Osman Ayariga. As it stands now there are two students parading themselves as Presidents of NUGS; Osman Ayariga and Peter Kwasi Kodjie. Why have the student body and alumni of NUGS been silent on this matter? Doesn't this situation in NUGS affect us in one way or the other?

According to Peter Kwasi Kodjie, the current situation is beyond the control of students and therefore needs the intervention of the alumni of NUGS. He says the attitude where some SRC Presidents as well as students show solidarity and attend Congresses of both factions to elect NUGS executives is quiet unfortunate. Hence it would be entirely difficult for students to solve this situation on their own. When asked if he would step down for Osman Ayariga to be the President of NUGS, he stated that it would be unfortunate to allow incompetent people to lead NUGS.

When the Treasurer, Nana Abrokwah was asked about the financial situation of NUGS, he disclosed that NUGS is currently operating two separate accounts by the two factions of NUGS. He added that the situation is rather unfortunate since some Universities pay the dues to one particular faction they are inclined to. Hence the two separate accounts being operated by the Peter Kodjie and Osman Ayariga factions.

By: Nabil Ahmed Rufai/Focus fm/KNUST