Deferring 6,000 students for owing fees harsh, inconsiderate – Ablakwa to KNUST Management

8% of KNUST students to miss out on exams

Okudzeto goes to the rescue of constituents affected by KNUST management decision

MP appeals for parliament to intervene in KNUST situation

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has stated that he finds inconsiderate, the decision by the management of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to defer courses for some six-thousand students.

It is reported that about 8% of the entire 85,256 student population of KNUST are set to miss out on their ongoing end of semester exam following a decision by management of the school to defer courses for those who have failed to meet the school’s minimum fee payment requirement.

“Dear student, your programme has been deferred as you have not met the minimum requirement of the KNUST fees Credit and Debt Management Policy. Thank you,” a copy of a message sent to the affected students by the management said.

But reacting to the news, Samuel Ablakwa bemoaned the situation while appealing to the ministry of education to intervene in the crisis.

“The decision by KNUST authorities to defer the courses of some 6,000 students for non-payment of fees is most harsh and inconsiderate considering the current economic crisis.

"I appeal to the Ministry of Education to urgently intervene and save the future of these students,” he stated in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb.

On how he expects the ministry and government to intervene in the matter, Mr Ablakwa said “It should not be difficult for government to instruct student support schemes such as the Scholarship Secretariat, Students’ Loan Trust, GNPC Scholarship Foundation, Cocobod Scholarship and GETFund to extend immediate relief to our 6,000 young Ghanaians.”

He disclosed that he is reaching out to students in his constituency who have been affected by the directive.

“Let us stand in solidarity with these students and help all of them remain in school to achieve their dreams. By way of my modest personal contribution to a solution — even though I have already attended to those on my scholarship scheme, any North Tongu constituent who wasn’t on my support programme and is affected should promptly contact the North Tongu MP’s office for assistance,” he stated.

Mr Ablakwa further emphasized the need for parliament to revisit a motion for a special subsidy on tertiary fees, particularly for needy students.