The latter part of the just ended trimester in the University for Development Studies saw a series of important occurrences that received no attention from the nation’s media houses.
This is not uncommon to us in our part of the country as most media men and women have been known to turn a blind eye to matters of our university – something I feel is a great deal of disrespect to the university.
Elections were held during those last couple of weeks on our various campuses with various degrees of misfortunes happening: The court bruhaha on Wa campus, tear gas incident on Tamale and a series of other happenings.
The so called big Media houses and other acclaimed names in the media profession claim to have representatives and correspondents in these parts of the country yet little or no activities in these parts are aired on their platforms – a behaviour I find disheartening and disrespectful to the country as a whole.
Other universities, both public and private, receive a great deal of media reportage which has, to a large extent, helped solve most of their problems; thus from infrastructure to welfare to academics.
University of Ghana once had an issue regarding tolls and levies – an issue which received massive media coverage. Even hall weeks and association celebrations at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Cape Coast do get a significant amount of coverage. University for Development Studies will celebrate her SRC week, run elections and go for her almighty Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), with all its relevance to the nation, and yet receive insignificant coverage, if any. Why does the media make us feel inferior? Is it because of our location? Are the three Northern Regions not part of Ghana?
The country’s major political parties cannot be left out of this unfortunate mistreatment. We find them loitering about seeking avenues to promote their popularity selfishly rather than helping solve problems of our institutions even though their attention are drawn to these problems. I call them blood sucking vampires (always seeking fresh blood and ignoring the ill ones).
I however use this platform to applaud our campus radio (Ultimate Radio) for the wonderful work they do with respect to the publicity of our University in the Wa municipality. The likes of Tetteh Pac, DJ slim, Opanin and Emmanuel Kwabena Domfeh affectionately known as Sir Noble are commendable as they do not only inform us of happenings on our various campuses but also expose us to happenings in other institutions.
It would be unfair not to mention the hard work of our DJ’s who entertain us. However, more work would be very much appreciated. Work that should have our cries channeled to the national level of media and its related activities so as to attract the necessary attention deemed fit, and ensure adequate remedies in the same light.
To our national media men and women, I say wake up from your long slumber. UDS is also a public university in Ghana that is helping massively in the development of our nation as our mandate hints and therefore needs as much coverage as you give the others. Do not wait for President Obama to mention our name somewhere or for Queen Elizabeth’s son to pay us a courtesy visit or for blood to flow in times of crisis before we see you here with your cameras because by then, you might get stoned out of our campuses and be prevented from covering our events.
As a friend of mine would say, “partner us, let’s put UDS in the limelight”
Okeibuno David
Social Science Education
Level 300
