GIJ SRC to organize Akwaaba week for freshers

The Student Representative Council of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ SRC) has agreed to organize an Akwaaba week celebration for first-year students of the Institution from Monday, March 28, to Sunday, April 3, 2022.

In an emergency General Assembly (G.A.) meeting held on Friday, March 25, 2021, the G.A members approved a budget of GHC 5,225 for the week’s celebration.

The celebration was almost called off after the GIJ SRC General Assembly decided not to approve an estimated amount of GHC 71,000 to cater for expenses.

The Financial secretary, Etornam Felix Tsawodzi when he presented the 2022 budget statement at the General Assembly on Saturday, March 19, 2022, said, an estimated amount of GHC71,000 would be used if the house should agree to go on with the week’s celebration.

“You don’t expect me to stand In front of you and present a budget of GHC71,000 for Akwaaba week, I am sure you’d be outraged,” he told the General Assembly members last Saturday.

Also, while delivering the state of the SRC address, the President of the Council, Edem Dei-Tutu, said the decision to scrap off the Akwaaba week celebration was to use the money to invest in profitable ventures.

However, according to the recent press release from the SRC, due to the students’ response to the General Assembly’s decision, the SRC decided to rescind their earlier stance and organize a week-long program for the first-year students.

“The Executive arm of the SRC wishes to inform students about its decision to organize an AKWAABA week for freshmen.

"As an administration that listens, we have heard from all quarters of the student body, and we have decided as a matter of urgency to side with the students on this matter.

"We have since yesterday gone ahead to present a supplementary budget and a programme an outline for the week’s celebration to General Assembly which has been approved,” the statement said.

The statement also added that the SRC is focused on managing the students’ accounts and making the right decisions that will not lead to the mismanagement of funds.

“We are focused on protecting the student purse and in effect, we have planned a celebration that does not put much pressure on the student purse. We are determined to make sure that students’ interest remain paramount,” the statement added.

The Deputy Speaker of the General Assembly, Elizabeth Prempeh has however said that the executive committee is yet to brief students on the activities for the week.