General Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Julius Kwame Anthony, has called on President Akufo-Addo to intervene in the strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
According to him, despite the suspension of strike action by public universities, lecturers are yet to begin active academic work on various university campuses. Mr Anthony explained that the President’s engagement with lecturers will ensure they go back to post. The NUGS General Secretary revealed that despite several engagements between other stakeholders and UTAG, there hasn’t been concrete results from these meetings.
“There is one individual who has not spoken on this matter and we need him to do that and that person is the President of the Republic. So, it will make a lot of difference because he is the head of government and he speaks and things move. If he gives instructions, all these people will obey. So, he should come and state his position on the matter”.
Julius Kwame Anthony
In spite of the stalemate with regards to the strike action, Mr Anthony argued against the idea of students protesting to register their displeasure on the ongoing situation. He insisted that SRC Presidents must rather petition the President for a meeting to find solutions to the issue.
“Last year, we did that and it was not long after that action was taken. So, I think it is only after meeting the President, and if nothing happens then we can demonstrate”.
Julius Kwame Anthony
UTAG to resume academic activities
Prior to this, the National President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Professor Solomon Nunoo, revealed that lecturers would resume academic activities in spite of the ongoing votes by various campuses on the suspension of strike action.
He intimated that the ongoing referendum at various campuses would not change the suspension of the strike action. That notwithstanding, he emphasized that should the votes on rejection of strike suspension be accepted by various university campuses, the National Executives Committee would meet to schedule another date for strike action. Prof. Nunoo disclosed that the suspension of the strike action is necessary to allow UTAG to negotiate with the government.
“Per our UTAG constitution mainly, once a strike action is suspended, we have to go back to classrooms and go back to teaching. So, whether a campus votes against the suspension or for the suspension, all of us would go back to the classrooms and go back to teaching. At the end of the referendum, we would collate the results and at the end of the collation, if the majority of the members say they want us to continue with the strike action, then an extraordinary meeting of the National Executives Committee would have to be constituted to determine the date for the next strike action, so that is the case”.
Professor Solomon Nunoo
The latest university to reject the suspension of the strike is the C.K Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences. Following a referendum on NEC’s decision on the matter on Friday, February 25, 2022, 64% of the lecturers kicked against a suspension of the strike, while 35% voted to suspend the strike and return to the lecture halls. 1% did not answer the question.
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