The Students’ Representative Council of University of Education Winneba, Kumasi and Mampong Campuses whose core mandate is to promote the general welfare and interest of students, coordinating the social, cultural, intellectual and recreational activities of the students in the University have appealed to the government of the day to give them their freedom to manage their own affairs.
At a joint press conference held at the kumasi campus of UEW on 27th day of November,2018, the SRC headed by Boateng Samuel Clinton clarified that, “leadership of the SRC has noted with concern the significant increase in agitation among students over stakeholders inability to grant Kumasi and Mampong campuses of UEW autonomy.”
He added that, there is a steady rise in disappointment of students to see the delay of the processes that seek to make the two campuses become full-fledged autonomous University to train competent teachers in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).
A statement read on behalf of the Minister of Education Hon. Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh at the annual meetings of Principals of Colleges of Education which was published on the 31st August, 2018 was cited as an example when the minister stated that, “Kumasi and Mampong campuses of UEW shall be autonomous to train TVET teachers for all levels of Education in the Country”.
According to the SRC president, Subsequent statements by the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Deputy Minister of Education points to same resolution by government. He however noted that the high hopes students kept in their hearts at the beginning when such statements were made has dropped and fallen on the alter of no hope.
According to him,it is heart-wrenching to sit here today to illustrate the problems students face as a result of the inefficiencies in the Winneba system and the uneven distribution of infrastructural developments. We shed tears to witness that since August till now, we are still not AUTONOMOUS.
He continued as follows;
“As the mouthpiece of the students, leadership is concerned with the welfare of students especially students of Coltek and CAGRIC, and wish to state that our continuous stay under UEW shall only increase the problems we face as students.
It is noteworthy that, school fees breakdown has been kept secret from student leaders and the entire students body. Countless request for such document has fallen on forest of dead ears. The sad reality is that, we pay school fees but do not know what actually we pay for. Moreover, Management has deliberately decided to unevenly distribute infrastructural development so much so that Kumasi and Mampong has remain poor infrastructure wise.
It is therefore not surprising that students practically fight over lecture spaces and have to carry chairs on their heads from one lecture hall to the other. In solving such problem Winneba campus has extended lecture period to cover 7am to 7pm for regular students and 8pm for evening session but ironically our health facility closes at 5pm. In case of emergency, lives could be lost as usual. We will therefore not sit aloof.
A call by the SRC on Management to extend internet access on these two campuses has become an unending war that only God knows when it will end.
More so, ladies and gentlemen decisions are made without the input of students. It is evidenced that our major problems at Kumasi and Mampong are accommodation and lecture theatres but Management prefers to use our monies to build a basic school than solve our problems.
Challenges about our students portal system has not been resolved, we state strongly that Winneba campus has mog been and will not be able to fairly develop the various campuses of the University hence our resolve to be autonomous.
Notwithstanding the challenges and delay in getting our autonomy, we have received with a joyful heart the news on the coming of the President of the Country, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo and are poised ahead of his coming. We believe our hopes have been revived once again to expect that the President will grant Kumasi and Mampong our freedom.
Mr. President, in the name of the almighty God it is the desire of students to be free from the tyranny of Winneba campus. We shall resist any attempt to keep us under Winneba campus of UEW. The time is long overdue.
We are by this press Conference calling the attention of the President of the republic to our solemn cry. “WE WANT AUTONOMY NOW”, “WE CAN MANAGE OUR AFFAIRS”. We fervently emphasize that the autonomy must be coupled with infrastructural development. Government must also turn to complete the uncompleted auditorium situated behind the 151 capacity library for the over fifteen thousand students.
We strongly believe the President in his visit would take time and address the students and also receive a petition from the SRC on behalf of the students”.
Source: Thepressradio.com
