USAG CELEBRATES THE UCC UPRISING MAN, TONY HENRY (DE-HOPE) (IMMEDIATE PAST USAG FINANCIAL CONTROLLER)

The inception of a united student front was birth to give a new dimension to student activism. Many leaders have run affairs of USAG and geared us towards the provision of redress to students' plights. We have witnessed the good, bad and ugly. We recognized the corrupt and self-centered ones, who retrogressed the vision of USAG. As the good plants can be seen even among a cluster of weeds, your enviable personality is distinguished at all times.

The paradigm of student activism had a peculiar shift, as the entry of a magnificent uprising leader was elected. The focus of students' plights was given a sense of urgency with pragmatic solutions implemented.

An era of a Congress coupled with confusion and commotion was ended under your reign and leadership while a new dawn of well planned and organised Congress was born making USAG one of the most matured National student front.

Nothing amazes us but the knowledge of 21st July marking the birth of an uprising great leader, whose commitment and dedication to student welfare goes beyond the horizon of earth. On and on we go yet your impeccable delivery to service and the roles you played remains indelibly in the hearts and minds of all student populace.

 USAG celebrates you not because you were once an executive but it is for the impact you made, the lives you touched and the transformation you brought. We pray for strength and wisdom from the Almighty God as you travel on the path of leadership and service to people. As Lao Tzu once said, "a good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving ". May this principle be your conviction to cause you to fulfill enormous dreams and be a blessing to the world as you have been to the students of Ghana.

Ayekoo Mr. TONY HENRY ARTHUR. HAPPY BIRTHDAY and Continue to be the change we want to see in the world.

WRITTEN BY: ANGEL DKK-GBEDEMAH (SRC General Secretary – Regional Maritime University, Accra)

USAG CONCERNED ABOUT EFFECTIVE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF GHANAIAN STUDENTS BY EC

03/05/ 2016

STATEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION OF GHANA  (USAG) TO THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION  (EC) OF GHANA

We write to register our concerns over the ongoing limited registration exercise which we are afraid is not designed to encourage or allow eligible Ghanaians who are students to register to vote in 2016.

The Commission has set a 10-day period for this limited registration exercise, starting from April 28 to May 8. We are already half way through the exercise and per our calculations, less than 10 percent of the estimated number of young Ghanaian students eligible to vote has been able to so far register. If this trend continues, we are afraid it will amount effectively to an administrative decision taken by the EC that has only led to disenfranchising the majority of young Ghanaian students who have come of age to vote. This would be a tragedy against our democracy.

Currently, over 100,000 Ghanaian students across campuses up and down the country are facing challenges just trying to register.  This is because the EC has either failed to provide registration centres on some campuses or chosen to not provide adequate registration kits on campus to facilitate the process.

We have had instances where students have had to queue for days without success, whiles having to respond to the natural pressures of revising for exams.

For instance, the University of Ghana, Legon, has about 28,000 students on campus and most of them are in the qualifying category to register. However the whole Legon Campus community has only one registration center.

The Mampong campus of the University of Education has no registration centre on campus. The students have access to a centre inconveniently situated outside of the campus. 

Also, the highly populated Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology has not a single registration centre on campus. Students wanting to register have to trek outside of campus to do so.

Indeed, there is not a single tertiary institution in Ghana which has not been inconvenienced by the way the EC has chosen to conduct this exercise. Indeed, students are even compelled by the circumstances to conclude that it appears the EC has deliberately done things in this way to discourage them from registering to vote. 

This perception is very unfortunate and needless. It was avoidable because the EC knows from experience and from its own expectation to register 1.2 million people that the highest concentration of  the targeted group for the limited registration exercise are to be found on campuses across the country. So in deciding to distribute 3,500 registration kits across the country it ought to have positively discriminated in favour of students and deployed more than the usual number to campuses. 

In this regard we entreat the EC to as a matter of urgency:

1. Extend the days for the limited voter registration exercise on our campuses across the country and;

2. Increase the number of registration kits available on  campuses to facilitate speedy and smooth process. 

This we believe will make the limited voter registration exercise meaningful and inclusive to achieve the goal of enfranchising new eligible voters. The EC cannot claim to be registering Ghanaians who have come of age when at the same time it has put together a process that effectively prevents people from registering or frustrates their efforts to so do.  This is most odd, indeed.

It is our expectation that the Commission will treat this matter with the urgency, efficiency and professionalism it deserves. Ghanaian students have a constitutional duty and right to play their full part in determining how our nation is governed. To take this away is to effectively cause a coup against our collective constitutional right and duty.

……signed……

Henry Nkosuo Boakye 

President, University Students' Association of Ghana(USAG)

+233 246 018 003

Pamela Ohemaa Sarpomaa Dwomoh

General Secretary, USAG

USAG ON GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO DENY IT'S CONSTITUENTS READING "NURSING" IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES EMPLOYMENT.

The unshared attention of the Leadership of the University Students' Association of Ghana (USAG) has been drawn to a Government's decision to officially deny students reading "NURSING" in Private Universities employment opportunities in the State Owned Medical Outfits.

We at USAG, which is an official mouthpiece of all universities, both Traditional(government) and Private, see this decision of the government as clearly discriminatory, selective and intimidating to Ghanaian students reading "NURSING" in Private Universities in their motherland Ghana.

We therefore appeal to the government to willingly reconsider this decision, since its rippling ramifications can be a direct threat to national security.

We are humbly pleading with the government to officially review this perilous posture with total expedition because of the following reasons ;

Ø  Private University Students are also Ghanaians either by birth, marriage or documented adoption.

Ø  The authorities and owners of Private Universities contribute to the development of Ghana by paying of 25% Corporate Tax annually.

Ø  The Parents of Private University Students willingly pay various taxes, which adds up to the development index of Ghana.

Ø  Private University Students pay various taxes directly and indirectly to the Ghanaian government.

Ø  Nursing students in Private Universities are also of the same quality and value as those in Traditional Universities, because the lecturers that train those in the Government Universities are the same lecturers who teach at Private Universities and the same accreditation board grants accreditation to all of them; be it private or public..

Ø  This unfortunate decision will not only hinder national development but will cause a huge brain-drain and Ghana will have no moral right to speak against it since the people involved will not be seeking greener pasture abroad but pasture, since there is no pasture for them in Ghana .

For these reasons, we will not and can never accept this outlandish segregation levelled against nursing students who are trained in Private Universities.

As a country we believe "Education is the key to national development", so why are we treating the educated as a threat to the development of the Ghanaian community.

Finally, we want to accentuate that, the National Cake of Ghana, is constitutionally for all Ghanaians, and any spell of selectiveness, segregation and discrimination will not be accepted, hence we call on the government to redress this injustice, inequality and outright disrespect for the constitution of Ghana, which also determines their election and appointments to lead this country.

University Education; A Key To National Development

God bless USAG! God bless our homeland Ghana!!

...Signed.....

USAG WOCOM VEHEMENTLY CONDEMNS THE SHOCKING KNUST SEX SCANDAL.

04/05/16

PRESS RELEASE 

The unshared attention of the Women's Commissioner of the University Students' Association of Ghana has been drawn to an overly detestable, abominable and obnoxious sex video circulating on various social media platforms. 

Unfortunately, the actors of the shameful video happen to be students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, meaning they are bonafied constituents of USAG. 

I vehemently castigate, vilify and condemn such ordeal and call on the various security forces in the country to attend to this perilous behaviour which is gaining momentum in Ghana lately. 

Ghana is globally known for her standard of morals, values and virtues, in other to maintain this enviable trademark, I plead with security forces to be more expeditious with their duties regarding this issue and as a matter of urgency, bring the culprits to order. 

This will serve as a preventive standard to all. 

Finally, I appeal to all my female constituents to be humongously cautious with their sexual life and who they entrust their privacy.

............SIGNED...........

NANCY OWUSU KWARTEMAA

WOMEN'S COMMISSIONER 

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (USAG)

0246029671

USAG CELEBRATES PEARL EMEFA SIALE, IMMEDIATE PAST WOCOM

Incontrovertibly, you are a lady of valour, quality and value. You give an unequivocal expansition to the word of wisdom echoed into the atmosphere over four decades ago by Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, which states that "when you educate a man, you educate an individual but when you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation". 

Indeed, your professional idiosyncrasies have added more appealing touch to USAG brand especially the women advocacy.

As you celebrate such a propitious, golden and special day in your life, it is overly germane for USAG, the students association you served with passion and zeal, to join the hundreds, thousands and millions of the world populace to also celebrate one of her own who has remained a huge inspiration to all ladies in the artistry of students endeavour.

We are really proud of you for availing yourself to assume the seat of leadership to serve Ghanaian students willingly even at the expense of your private priorities. 

We plead with the Almighty God to go before you in all you do, to make every crooked path straight and never relent in gratifying you. 

God bless you Sweet EMEFA

IMMEDIATE PAST WOCOM, USAG

USAG WISHES KNUST SRC WELL

Today marks a memorable day in the lives of students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and an historic event in students’ leadership in Ghana.

On behalf of the National Executive Officers, National Executive Council and the entire Senators of the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG), I wish to extend our best wishes to all the candidates who will take part in today’s elections.

We believe that the ultimate objective of you coming along to contest is First things first to awaken hope, forward the unbroken resolve to build an SRC that is focused and results oriented with leadership that impacts.

Let us have healthy elections to show to the students of KNUST and other institutions that indeed KNUST is a united force.

On this note, USAG wishes you all the best, may your dreams come true, be positive and be an agent of peace for KNUST and Ghana.

We wish you all God's blessings.

God bless the KNUST.

God bless USAG

Signed

PAMELA OHEMAA SARPOMAA DWOMOH

General Secretary, USAG

UCC SRC President meets 2016/17 Presidential Candidates

UCC SRC PREZ, H.E FRANCIS KWABENA ARTHUR

The President of the University of Cape Coast(UCC) Students' Representative Council(SRC), Mr.Francis K. Arthur, on Saturday, met the four SRC presidential candidates ahead of the April 7 elections.

The Candidates,certified by the  Electoral Commission to contest the polls are:Messrs Dennis Larbi (Team Dennis),Theophilus Saki Sosi(Team Sosi), Albert Nuako(Team Steward) and Isaac Kojo Mensah(Team Democrat).

This Historic meeting, held in closed-door at Elimina Beach Resort, was an initiative of Mr. Arthur who is committed to uniting the students' front as his topmost priority.

Mr.Arthur who spoke to the Choicism.com via phone, said that in the run-up to the SRC elections, it was necessary for him to bring the four candidates to the roundtable to discuss pertinent issues concerning the office they were aspiring to occupy. 

Mr.Arthur, who has served the constitutionally required two terms in office as SRC president and due to complete his four year degree programme, noted that the candidates should use their campaign messages to unite the students' front and not to divide it,adding among other things that,'The next SRC president must lead a united front.'

According to him, the SRC, under his tenure, had chalked significant gains in uniting the students' front, so it was important that the candidates deepened the gains as they embark on their official campaigns from March 28 to April 6.

President Arthur,who will turn 24 in September this year, called on the candidates to educate their supporters on the need to do clean campaign devoid of insults, mudslinging, vilification, baseless rumours and vile propaganda, both on campus and on social media.

For their part, the candidates expressed joy at the honour the president had done them and promised to abide by the rules governing the polls,and support the candidate who will emerge as the winner of the April 7 polls.

The SRC president,who has been in office for two academic years, exchanged handshake with the candidates and took memorable pictures with them.

He described the two-hour dinner meeting as 'successful'. 

The candidates,according to Mr.Arthur, shared and laughed off some of the stories making rounds on social media about them.

 The SRC President charged them not to dent any candidate's integrity and reputation in particular,and the SRC at large. 

He further asked them to preach the message of Unity among their teeming supporters.

"Let this election be a family affair, that will end up uniting us and making the student front stronger". he advised.

The president is expected to hold a marathon meeting with the other Local NUGS and SRC candidates,especially the two SRC Secretary contenders,who are running neck-and-neck in the race after Easter Monday.

SOURCE: Choicism.com

       

Click to watch photos

www.choicism.com/news/786-ucc-src-prez-meets-2016-17-presidential-candidates

USAG NEW YEAR MESSAGE

NEW YEAR MESSAGE DELIVERED BY MR HENRY NKOSUO BOAKYE, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (USAG).

"A GOOD BEGINNING WILL SURELY MAKE A GOOD END''.

 Finally, the most awaited 2016 is here. This is a new year, a new beginning and things will surely CHANGE.

A new year is not about changing the dates but direction. 

It is not about changing the calendar but commitment.

It is not about changing the actions but attitude.

May the bad times you faced in the 2015 academic year be your stepping stones to success.

The beginning of the year is the most important part of the second semester academic work and I urge all university students across the country to prepare well in order to perform well.

We shall all walk in joy this year.

Wishing you a great, prosperous, blissful, healthy, delightful and Extraordinary Happy New Year 2016.

University Education is indeed a key to national development.

God Bless USAG, And Everyone Else.

USAG NKOSUO NTI, ENYE MENTI.

Signed

Henry NKOSUO Boakye

President, University Students' Association of Ghana (USAG)

00233246018003/ 00233507488786