Student unions have outlived their usefulness; Public University Bill enters consideration stage

The evolution of students’ representative groups in the Ghanaian educational realm has contributed immensely to the general welfare of the entire student body over the past few decades. In fact, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) which is the mother of all student unions cannot be overlooked when discussing major educational reforms and successes in Ghana.

The likes of Dr. Arthur Kennedy, Dan Botwe, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu and Hon. Okudjeto Ablakwa just to mention a few can hit their chest today and say; they have impacted the lives of Ghanaian students through the union.

It saddens my heart today that, the legacies these heroes left behind over the years have metamorphosed into a partisan union just to satisfy the parochial interest of student leaders in recent past few years. Today, preparations are underway for parliament to pass the Public University Bill which from all indications will polarize the country’s higher educational system of which students will consequently be at the receiving end. For reasons best known to them, student leaders including leaders of NUGS are silent despite the fact that they were sidelined in the process.

Having met Professor Frimpong Boateng in my capacity as a student activist years ago, he had this to say: “During our time as students, there was nothing like TEIN (Tertiary Education Institutions Network) and TESCON (Tertiary Education Students’ Confederacy). Therefore, student leaders were able to speak truth to power and fought for the welfare of students”.

This could be the vehicle of the successes NUGS chocked at the time. As a matter of fact, the situation is different today, considering the fact that partisan politics is now the standard of the only avenue left for Ghanaian students to address their grievances. Today, the leadership of NUGS have not only failed students but also disappointed the founders and pioneers of the union, some who lost their lives in fighting for students’ interest. I strongly believe that they are grieving in their graves by now. May their souls rest in peace.

Student leaders of today must know that they have a role to play in positioning Ghanaian students in the best way possible, to harness the opportunities knocking at our doors. Therefore, the current leadership of NUGS must dress down and wear the national colors to redeem the image of the union now; else, posterity will surely not forgive us.

Long live Ghana, long live the National Union of Ghana Students.