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27.01.2015 Press Statement

Students Of Ideas University College On The Refusal Of The National Accreditations Board To Restore Our Accreditation

By Students Of Ideas University College
Students Of Ideas University College On The Refusal Of The National Accreditations Board To Restore Our Accreditation
27.01.2015 LISTEN

As you may be aware, the institutional and programme accreditation of Ideas University College was revoked by the National Accreditation board (NAB) in a letter dated 5th December, 2011 and addressed to the authorities of the school. Key among the reasons for the revocation was a “controversy over the proprietorship of the institution that led to the split of the student body into two groups” as the fact-finding team of the NAB claimed.

We want to state emphatically that the students were never divided into two groups as claimed by the fact-finding team. We believe it was a blatant untruth by the team to use that a basis for the revocation of accreditation. All the other reasons stated by the team could not be proved. And if any such issue(s) existed, the school is a human institution and is not immune to mistakes and as such we expected the NAB to give the school ample time to find solutions to them as the law states.

This revocation happened just a day before the commencement of the end of semester examination. The arbitrary and capricious revocation of the Institutional and programme Accreditation prematurely and abruptly truncated the right of we the students to education. That is the NAB did not act with the welfare of the students at heart. The NAB acted as if it was a revolutionary institution that operates with force without recourse to welfare of the citizenry. Such actions by state institutions must be condemned forthwith and we as citizen must hold state institutions accountable for their actions and inactions.

After a year in the wilderness, with various petitions and efforts to get the accreditation reinstated.The students filed a suit at Sunyani High Court seeking the court to rule on whether the NAB had acted in accordance with the laws of the land. We also wanted the court to grant us our fundamental human right to education which was been abused by the NAB. After several sittings of the court, a ruling was finally delivered on 30th January, 2013.

In this ruling, the court declared the actions of NAB as an infringement on the fundamental human right to the students and as such ordered the NAB to reinstate or restore the accreditation forthwith. The court also made other pronouncements which can be found in the copy of the courts ruling which will be made available for your perusal at your request. The NAB later filed a Motion of Stay of Execution on the 15th February, 2013which was eventually dismissed.

Two days from now marks exactly two years since the court's ruling but the NAB has failed to complywith the Orders of the Court to reinstate the accreditation of the school leaving the fate of the students unknown. The action of the NAB cannot be accepted in our democracy where the court is the only source of hope for the afflicted. We state emphatically that no case of appeal has been served on us the students, which means there is no such thing in the pipeline. In the event that there is an appeal process, our accreditation has to be restored to us until a superior court over-rules the decision of the high court.

Since the court's ruling, school resumed and some of our colleagues have since completed their programmes with the hope of receiving their certificates soon. But as things stand, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the completed students and those who will be completing their programmes soon.

We have appealed to the President of our dear nation, in a petition dated 28th March, 2014 and copied to the Chief of Staff, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, the Deputy Minister of Education and the Regional Member of the council of state. It is almost a year now and we have not heard anything from them.

The actions of NAB have caused great psychological trauma to us the students. It has caused undue hardships to the students considering the colossal sums of money we have paid as fees and accommodation. Most of us are very aggrieved at the action of the NAB and we want to ask the following questions;

1. Can an institution not continue to exist and operate when there isboardroom wrangling?

2. Is the NAB disrespecting the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction to reinstate our accreditation?

3. What is still keeping the NAB from restoring our accreditation after two years of a courts ruling?

4. Is there a personal agenda by some members of NAB to get our school closed?

5. Is the NAB not suppose to be a watchdog institution of state that is mandated to seek the welfare of students, or it has now become an institution that jeopardizes the future of students?

6. Who watches the watchman? In this case who monitors the activities of NAB or are they a super institution that is infallible?

We entreat you the media to seek the answers to this questions we have asked. It is our right to hold state institutions accountable for their actions and inactions and we humbly ask you the media to dutifully do so.

Our dear nation has reached a point where people should be encouraged to invest in businesses that create jobs for the citizenry. Many employment opportunities have been destroyed because of the actions of the NAB. We want to responsible citizens in future to contribute to the development of our dear nation but the NAB is refusing us our right to education, which can well position us for our future ambitions. Why? Are we not Ghanaians?

In the past three years, we heard news of many institutions that had problems with the NAB but were not closed down. Our checks on the newly updated website of NAB as at Friday 22nd January, 2015 did carry news of the revocation of our accreditation but the issues with many of the other school are not on the website. There have been several other publications in the newspapers by the NAB claiming our school has been closed down even after a court of competent jurisdiction as ordered them to reinstate our accreditation. This makes us suspect foul play and a mastered intention of some people to close down our dear school.

We as students will stand up to fight for the good of our school. We do not want to be heroes but we want to fight for a good cause because this school was established with a good intention and such good things must not be allowed to die just like that.

We appeal passionately to His Excellency the President of the Republic, who is the father of this nation to intervene in this matter. We know he has the development of the nation at heart and he will not allow a state institution to jeopardize the lives and future of his children.

We also appeal to the Minister of Education, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman who understands the importance of education to the development of a nation to step in this matter like a mother who will always seek the welfare of her children. Equally, we plead with the Deputy Ministers of Education, especially Hon. Ablakwa who is directly in charge of tertiary education to seek a solution to the problems of the students.

We also appeal to the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister to help alleviate our misery. We also appeal to the all well meaning Ghanaian who can offer us any help to please do so because our lives are at stake and we have become laughing stocks in the society.

To you the media, we humbly appeal to you to pursue this issue to its logical conclusion. We believe in you that is why we are appealing and we hope you will not let us down.

If after 14 days from now, we do not hear anything from the authorities of this country or do not get our accreditation reinstated, we will advise ourselves accordingly.

Let us not forget that our actions and inactions will be judged by posterity oneday. Thank you and God bless Our Homeland Ghana.

SGD. BY
DANIEL ADAMA
SRC PRESIDENT
0246620870
0507506870

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