Our Government Must Respect Education - NUGS

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is hugely unhappy with the recent sit-down strike of the Teachers and Workers Union (TEWU) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on the 20 January, 2012 over delayed payment of salary arrears. The Union�s unhappiness stem from the fact that, the innocent students are those who are at the receiving end of the TEWU strike. Already, Libraries and Lecture halls have been shut from students which impede smooth academic excellence especially since the Semester just began. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is growing disillusioned with the way our national leaders treat the educational sector with casualty. We are by this statement calling on; � The TEWU leadership of KNUST to please exercise some patience and restraint in the way they are handling their sit-strike since the students are being dealt some terrible blow. � We are also calling the TEWU members of KNUST to call off their strike for the Semester�s work to begin by Tuesday, 31 January, 2012 and use other congenial means to drum home their demand to the Mills Government. � We are also calling on the Mill�s Government to respect the cry of the TEWU members and with immediate effect resolve the issue before it gets off hand. Already the information reaching the Union indicates that, TEWU members in the other Universities will be going on strike should their Semester begin. This is not right. Our Government must and should prioritize education since it is the right way to go. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is appealing to all students in Ghana to be patient even as the TEWU members are being called upon to call off their strike. The Union is cautiously optimistic that our Lecturers and the other workers will heed our cry. Thank you. Signed: