The Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) with the greatest dismay announces our disappointment on the sudden shift of demands by POTAG on the payment of their book and research allowance.
We have since the beginning of the strike action understood the position of POTAG to be the demand for a commitment from government that their allowances will be paid. GNUPS can confirm that government has rethought its stance of not paying the book and research allowance and has demonstrated this by issuing letters to begin the processes for payment.
GNUPS has shown enough solidarity and support to POTAG by supporting its demands through presentation of petitions to relevant persons, organs and bodies in Ghana, staging of public protests and engaging in media criticisms against government on the matter. The least we expected was POTAG to introduce new conditions for meeting their demands which has the tendency to prolong the strike action and subsequently put the future of Polytechnic Students in despair. Polytechnic students have endured enough losses already and have made much sacrifice which we expect our lecturers to consider.
We wish to announce an indefinite suspension of our scheduled public protest on 29th July, 2014 and also plead with POTAG to consider the plight of Polytechnic Students and suspend its on-going strike action to enable students achieve their dream of tertiary education. POTAG at this difficult time must not forget that the future of some 70,000 students is at stake.
God save Polytechnic education.
