On Tuesday, May 26, the Association of Vice Chancellors Ghana issued a press release, which was published on page 74, of that day’s Daily Graphic. The crux of that press release was the inability of the Ministry of Finance to meet its obligations to Public Universities in the Country.
The release gave a very disturbing forecast of the future, if monies are not released for the smooth running of public universities.
The press release also cited instances where they had held meetings with the Minister of Finance and assurances were given, only for him to turn his back on them. Cabinet, had also on several occasions instructed the Finance Minister to release funds meant for public universities, all that and many attempts and negotiations, had gone unfulfilled.
Mr Terkper, need to get his acts together, things are getting out of hand, every sector is starved of funds, that we can allow, but the educational sector, we cannot pretend not to care.
The Vice Chancellors Ghana, have indicated that, if things remain the way they are, they will have no choice, but to cut down on the number of students to be admitted in the 2015/2016 academic year.
We cannot deny thousands of Ghanaians the opportunity to have tertiary education, any attempt to cut the number of students, will mean that the rich and influential persons in the society, will hijack the tertiary education, as they have done with the primary and secondary.
Many statutory payments are in arrears, because Seth Terkper is refusing to make funds available, government agencies, Ministries, are working without the necessary funding, needed for smooth operation.
The ability or otherwise of President, John Dramani Mahama, to win the 2016 presidential election, hinges so much on the attitude of his Finance Minister, who is running the Ministry as his personal property.
President Mahama, must assert his authority and order his Minister of Finance to release funds that are outstanding to public universities, instead of the show of power.
Vice Chancellors are not reckless people, they are the crème-dela-crème of our institutions, and they will not have come out with the press release, if they did not feel frustrated by the actions and inactions of Seth Terkper.
He is working in the interest of Ghanaians, not the other way round.
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