My Concerns To The President Of Ghana: John Dramani Mahama

Mr President, Ghana woke up to the shocking news that Meridian University has bowed down owing to financial turbulence which the founder felt is too much to stomach. Like a local convenience shop, the school has closed down because of low numbers.

As if planned, scores of private universities gallantly in haste rushed to the premises of this school scrambling for the supposed deserted students. By good coincidence West End University seemed to have won the students'. The bigger picture surprisingly has been left to future events and policy decisions to battle.

One would ask what is my worry in all these? Should I start numbering them?

Worry 1.
It is a fact that accreditation rules require at least students to undertake four semesters before they are allowed to graduate in another university. So what has happened in this case, especially students who have only one semester to finish their degree?

Worry 2.
Programme content and course content in all universities have never been the same. Hence Bsc Management in West End University can never be the same as Bsc Management in Meridian University. If so why would such a transfer be possible?

Worry 3.
Accreditation was sought for Bsc management in West University College with specific programme and course content and the same was sought for Meridian University College with different course content and programme content. Should West University be allowed to absorb the students, will it be in line with accreditation rules. Perhaps the degree should be called West End/ Meridian University College degree/ University of Cape coast degree.

Worry 4.
The legal luminaries should take a vow to spare these students of possible future litigations should they decide to test the legality of their degrees in court. May the almighty dirty politics never raise its ugly head when graduated students attest for political positions?

Worry 5.
Good precedence has been set. All suffering private universities should be allowed to fold down quickly when the going gets tough as other schools would gladly absorb them with all their complexities. Graduates from a collapsed Meridian University and many others to come, we cannot care about your records let alone your alma mater.

Worry 6.
There are many more I would not like to mention for now. Sorry, I have just thought of private university education now being one of our main chief exports to Nigeria and other countries. Let me end here as I patiently wait for the response. We know other universities in the United Kingdom partnered each other when they faced similar problems .So why can't similar solutions be offered in this case. Mr. President, do not set history as the only president under whose term a university collapsed with ease without any intervention.

Godson Agbeko Senanu
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