On 17th November 1939, students’ resistance on the streets of Prague, Czechoslovakia against Nazi occupation inspired the establishment of an anti-Nazi students’ coalition. November 17, 1941 was declared International Students Day by the International Students Council in London which became the starting point of the founding of the International Union of Students – IUS.
We will never forget the Nazi atrocities. Given the significance of the alliance which defeated the Nazis, the courage that was taken by our predecessors in resisting Nazism and fascism, the IUS has maintained the tradition of marking 17th November each year as the International Students Day.
The IUS throughout its history has consistently fought against all forms of discriminations, oppression and intolerance. Education has been placed at the centre of the struggle for democracy, the eradication of poverty, human as well as women’s rights, sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.
It is of no surprise that The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) as a key member of the International Union of Students also bears the same motto of “Education, a right not a privilege” as the IUS. This year, we mark this day with strong reflections on ‘The plight of the International Student in the 21st Century’.
It has come to the notice of NUGS that, international students in some universities pay higher for accommodation than local citizens in some hostels in some universities. This we deem as a modern day form of discrimination against non-citizens in the country. The usual norm is that, international students pay more for tuition than local citizens. Nowhere in the world do international students pay more for accommodation than the local citizens.
Again, we will want to make it clear that, most of the international students in Ghana are from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo, Liberia, etc. with just a few of them from Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the likes with a handful from outside Africa.
These students are linked to us with one umbilical cord in the true spirit of cooperation and partnership under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and in a larger picture, the African Union (AU). With this, we believe that, the act in which, international students are asked to pay $120 for non-citizens ID card and a renewal of $50 every year as a requisite for the issuance of residence permit for study in Ghana, smacks of gross betrayal to the course of free trade and movement of people in and out of Ghana.
Ghanaians studying in the United Kingdom and other foreign countries for instance, do not pay for ID cards. We therefore call on the government to scrap away the payment of that fee which was commenced this year or better still explain to the good people of Ghana why those fees are charged.
Over the last few months, we have had series of reports and cries from Ghanaian students studying on government scholarships in the Diaspora, voice out their challenges with accommodation, payment of tuition fees and allowances since they either receive them late or at worse, not at all.
We acknowledge the effort of President Mahama by issuing a directive in July that, only students who are offered admission to study programs which are not taught in Ghana were going to be offered scholarship. However, we want to see a more practical solution to bring a truce this annual problem. We believe that, the government’s promise on delivering quality education should prevail in all aspects for all to see.
We have come to a point where, Ghana which is deemed to be the gateway of Africa must show forth its enviable characters to the international community to the envy of others.
We thank the International Union of Students (IUS), All African Students’ Union (AASU), the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) Ghana, the International Students’ Association, (ISA) Ghana, the ISAs of all the institutions in Ghana for their immense support to NUGS and we assure them of a better and stronger partnership in the coming days.
Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta!!! God bless NUGS.
Nana Benyin Enninful (NUGS International Relations Secretary )
Sammy Dakwa Binfoh (NUGS President)
