”The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endless repeated rebuffs, it succeeds.” – Sigmund Freud.
This statement has been a high source of motivation for students’ activism in Ghana and provided the key impetus to establish the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in 1959 after the need of a national students movement became apparent in 1948 where the West African students’ Union (WASU) led by some students of Ghana joined the fight against colonialism.
The romance between NUGS and political movements towards putting Ghana on a high pedestal can never be underestimated. NUGS with its huge number has always been the driving force towards positive change in the country and this has been driven by high zeal, passion and thirst for change through youthful exuberance hence the borrowed quote from the first Mozambique President: H. E. Samora Machel as its slogan ”ALUTA CONTINUA, VICTORIA ASCERTA”.
With this same zeal of championing the interest of Ghanaian students, NUGS fought not only for political reforms but also things that promote education in Ghana. Notable among these is the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
However, for some strange reasons, the youthful exuberance which culminated into students activism has eluded the present day NUGS. NUGS in recent times has been so polarised due to the infiltration of its ranks by partisan parochial political interest.
NUGS election which should be an occasion for selecting quality students leaders has become an occasion to portray extravagance among aspirants and the leadership is either ‘sold’ to the highest bidder or the one whose political party is able to do more lobbying.
A house divided among itself cannot stand yet in 2010, NUGS was ‘shared’ among NPP and NDC.
In 2011, when NUGS was to elect leaders, the Abotsi Afriyie’s NPP NUGS and the Hamza Suhuyini’s NDC NUGS held separate elections. This is tantamount to the weak leadership exhibited by the Wonder Madilo’s administration.
Though NUGS now boast of a seeming coalition, the strict opposition by some executive of the Andrews Gyan’s administration in his quest to reward some political leaders in the country with the highest award going to the NPP’s two times presidential aspirant, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, is an indication that like the cow dung, the seeming unity within NUGS is dry on the face but… your guess is as good as mine.
NUGS has now become nothing but an avenue for some unscrupulous students with partisan parochial interest to harness the opportunity to do the bidding of their political parties.
Notwithstanding all these ‘stinking’ background, the Sammy Binfoh’s administration on 22/5/14, released a long statement cataloguing the pain and hardship the Ghanaian students are going through due to some unpopular decisions by the John Mahama led government against the flourish of education in the country and has since given the government two weeks ultimatum to respond.
This in my view, is a step in the right direction. But as to whether NUGS will have the balls to carry on with their threat after the elapse of their two weeks ultimatum is a debate for another day.
If NUGS wants their relevance to be felt again, this is the time. In as much as I believe that the days of holding placards and wearing red arm bands to register ones displeasure is over and that dialogue should be the other of the day. Since politicians have proved that the only language they understand is demonstration, I’m looking forward to seeing NUGS do their thing again.
If Sammy Binfoh and his team wants students to have faith in them. This is the time. The ultimatum expires on June 5, 2014 and we leave to see what NUGS has in the bag. Until then, let me pause here. The end will surely justify the…
