Coalition of UDS Students wants Akufo-Addo to ‘call mgt to order’ over ‘autocratic’ re-opening date

Coalition of University of Deveopment Studies’ (UDS) Students has called on President Akufo-Addo to call management to order over unfavourable re-opening date and academic calendar.

According to the coalition, UDS students are finding it difficult to raise fundsto comply with the re-opening date, accusing management of ‘autocratic’ rule.

A statement issued by the coalition on Tuesday 26 October 2921 said”We petitioned the management of the school through our various course reps and SRC President but this proved futile”.

The statement further stated that “We are therefore calling on HE Nana Akuffo Addo (The President of the republic of Ghana) who reveres education, to call management to order in respect of the autocratic and prompt confirmtion of the academic calendar and resumption date by management which parents and students are finding it difficult to raise funds and has the possibility of rendering most students dropouts”.

Below is the statement:

26th-OCTOBER,2021

COALITION of UDS STUDENTS AGAINST AUTOCRATIC MANAGEMENT DECISION ON RESUMPTIOM DATE & OTHER MATTERS

The coalition of students of the University for Development Studies (Tamale Campus) hereby writes to management/board of UDS, Government officials and to all media houses to help us in respect of rumors surrounding the 2021/22 school’s academic calendar which starts on the 8th of November, 2021.

This decision we deem it inappropriate, suicidal and autocratic , since the management board did not make available a proposed academic calendar for her students but only came out with an imposed and a confirmed academic calendar when no one expected such act.

In addition, the 2020/21 academic year ended on 13th October 2021 and this means we have just 3 weeks to prepare and begin an academic year without considering the fact that her students had just returned from the Third Trimester Field Practical Project and parents have exhausted a lot on us already and this is making parents and guardians puzzle why begin a whole academic year so soon without a prior notice?

You will be sad to know that a good number of us fends for ourselves and thinking this would be our long vacation for us to prepare adequately to meet the financial barriers in the next academic year and moving forward, we might either goodbye the school when this decision is not withheld or we might resort to quick and immoral means of getting money which the laws of the country frowns on.

When Covid 19 cases were on the rise, we (students of UDS) were asked to go and undertake a Third Trimester Field Practical Project (TTFPP) in some communities in the Northern part of the country. We pleaded with management to have a second look at sending us to these communities since Covid cases keep shooting up but all we were told was that, the TTFPP is mandated by PNDCL 279 section 3 and nothing could be done to avert it.

This saw most of us driven out of some communities upon arrival by the Chiefs and elders with the reason that we might infect them with the deadly disease (Covid 19).

These are our few questions
1. Is UDS one of the public universities in the country?

2. Do they (management) really think about us when taking decision?

3. Does the President and other government officials have a say in the affairs of UDS and it’s policies and decisions making process ?

4. Or it is owned and managed by a single individuals who does what favors him/her and victimizes anyone who tries to check him/her and this has rendered everyone quiet on the rot?.

5. Is this new academic year going to be free for our parents including everything?
We need answers to this few questions.

We petitioned the management of the school through our various course reps and SRC President but this proved futile

We are therefore calling on HE Nana Akuffo Addo (The President of the republic of Ghana) who reveres education, to call management to order in respect of the autocratic and prompt confirmtion of the academic calendar and resumption date by management which parents and students are finding it difficult to raise funds and has the possibility of rendering most students dropouts.

CHAIRMAN:
Abdul Karim Inusah
0501953989

SECRETARY:
Emmanuel Asirifi
0591626592

—————————–
(School Authorities)

Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye
Vice Chancellor

Prof. Paul Aryeh
Vice Deen
0241874937

Prof Baba Sulemana
H.O.D
0502288077

Prof. Nafiu
0202398101

Dr. Sackey
Deen of students
0249106150

Magnus Z Dogoli
SRC President
0506978622

Karim Yussif
NUGS President
0246060348

Source : africaneditors.com