Disagreement with the sudden change of venue for graduation ceremony for Wa Campus

04.11.2018 LISTEN

(Emphasis: Reverse your authoritarian decision or we boycott the graduation ceremony)

UDS as a tertiary institution established under act 279 has four main campuses: Tamale(Central administration) campus, Wa campus, Nyankpala campus and Navrongo.

The practised tradition over the years is that all the various campuses are given the opportunity to hold their matriculation and graduation ceremonies on their respective campuses. This tradition has been welcomed and supported by all stakeholders of the university for several years now.

Apparently, this year's graduation ceremony for UDS Wa campus with reference to a communiqué from the office the registrar was scheduled to take place on 10th November 2018 which all students were happy with and were preparing towards until the late hours of Friday 2/11/18.

Ladies and gentlemen from the media, with barely a week to our graduation ceremony which is supposed to take place on Wa campus, we returned from work yesterday only to hear news circulating that the graduation which has its own problems bedevilling it is rescheduled to Tamale campus on the same 10th November.

This sudden change of venue is not only frustrating and sad but a total disregard to students of Wa campus. The new development is also a violation of the principles of fairness and equity.

Ladies and Gentlemen, below are other pressing issues of great concern which must be brought to public attention:

FAULTY GRADUATION LIST

The school generated two sets of graduation lists(manual and online) with different information. They have decided to use the online list after receiving several complaints from our online system being messed up.

In this list, the school has shamefully omitted several students of good standing from the graduation list and over 3 weeks now after receiving several complains nothing has been done to solve this problem. Several students of good academic standing to graduate have their names omitted without justification as to whether these students have debts to settle or have disciplinary issues to address. The possibility that these students may not even have their names in the 19th graduation register is very high.

LATE NOTICE

On the issue rescheduling, the venue for the graduation ceremony when almost all the graduands in Wa campus are done with their preparations is not only in a bad faith but an indictment on the integrity of the entire management. Besides, no tangible reason has been given to buttress the need for the sudden change of venue.

ACCOMMODATION

Preparations are far advanced with regard to accommodation for our parents and other relatives will be celebrating the day with us in Wa, not in Tamale. Many of us have already arranged to share rooms with our friends on campus who are continuing students in order to cut down cost. Now the change means we have to struggle to book for hotels and guest houses around Tamale for ourselves and our families on in addition to the huge amount of money taken as graduation fee.

It is based on this backdrop that we wish to reiterate the following points.

We the students of Wa campus want the ceremony to be holding our campus to reduce stress and cost involved in acquiring accommodation and other necessary items for required for the ceremony.

We also wish to state clearly, without fear of intimidation that should management disregard our concerns, we shall be left with no other option than to organise a massive and unprecedented demonstration in the history of UDS and subsequently boycott the 19th congregation ceremony.

Convenor:

Ampofo Ofori Samuel (TUGA)

0241791526

Co Convenor:

Teye Benjamin

(Kross)

0540932936

Theophilus Arthur

IDS

0240913180

Brefo Philip Boahen

Accounting and Finance