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Dear Rector,
This is my first public letter to you, so, tradition demands I first congratulate you on your appointment as the Acting Rector. I am told soon, you would be either maintained as the substantive Rector or made the Vice.
Congratulations also that under your leadership, a major controversial act of increment of fees has been introduced.
In the coming months, Regular students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism under your leadership will be expected to pay 15 percent more of the fees they previously pay. The MA and the Weekend Students on the other hand are expected to pay 20 percent more. Some Universities are also expected to experience various fees increment due to the lack of subventions from government. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has also made its intentions of reviewing its fees upwards. The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration ( GIMPA) is also on the radar, among others.
But the SRC on 23rd of June, 2018 issued a press release sympathizing with students and themselves about this outrageous shoot-up. This was after series of meeting with you, Management and Council, to raise concerns about the unjustified highly controversial act. According to the gazette, they kicked against the new fiscal directive putting forward some three reasons:
1. “Though many other universities were to see increment in fees, the situation of GIJ is peculiar. The quality of services over the years hasn’t been meritorious for which more would be demanded from students.
2. The increment is questionable considering the times when students have called for a breakdown of what they already pay.
3. The 60 % part-payment required of students who can’t afford the fees at ago will even make it more difficult for parents and guardians to accept and afford a possible increment.”
However, it seems the SRC lost the debate to you and the simple majority at Council. It is rumoured that Council comprise of about 10 members drawn from Management and university supervisory bodies. Ironically, of this 10, the SRC made up of over 4,000 students (and counting) are represented by only the SRC President. This suggests that in critical matters that demand a vote just like the case of the fees, the SRC has only one vote. As the highest body of decision making in the institute, motions and decisions taken thereafter are binding on all teaching staff and students. This obviously makes the fight of the SRC look like a pinch of salt in an ocean.
The debate has also featured the rumour that the discussion to increase the fees or not was supervised by the previous SRC leadership, the MTN-led Administration, before exiting office. How true is this Dr and what was the initial decision? In any case, they too lost the fight because of the constitutional architecture of representation of students at the Council level. The question therefore isn’t, who is to blame but how decisions are taken at such high levels.
Dr, granted the situation is usual of every University; the one vote policy at Council meeting sometimes puts pressure on the SRC Presidents and no matter how articulate and forceful they argue their points and insist, they end up over-powered by the grey-haired majority. The culture of lobbying then comes in. But again it is rumoured, sometimes the content of discussion becomes known to the SRC President only at the sitting or at the dire moment. It therefore, doesn’t give the SRC Rep the ample time to go behind closed-door to lobby some Council or Management members to the side of students.
I am of the view that until such unfair non-proportional representation of the Executive at Council is reviewed; the SRC shall continue to be powerless, pressured, and voiceless on such critical matters, and that doesn’t augur well for your leadership; something you shouldnt be too happy about.
It is now the post-implementation stages of the new fees and Management is expected to respond to the demands of the SRC. The SRC appeal, before the new fees are implemented, leadership should give students justifications of the act and a possible breakdown. Today, my emphasis shall be on a *“possible breakdown”*.
Though I suspect you and others may come out to say that public institutions are not allowed to publish a breakdown of the fiscal components of fees, I ask, *Is the service-provider allowed to increase service fees when need be to review the quality of services? If yes, is it not proper of consumer relations and right to demand that the additional quota added be accounted for and explained to the customer? And if it has never been done in the history of that company, is it not better to do so to maintain a client than to still hoard such information to cause tension and suspicion?*
It is not too much to ask of Management to demand justification and breakdown. It is my right, the levy-payer, to know what extra I am paying for. The debate should therefore be, it is not for the SRC’s to insist or ask for this before it is granted. You and Council should chart a new path of transparency and quality governance. Never in the history of GIJ has students had a breakdown of fees even when fees are increased over-night. This is gradually turning into a time-bomb and may explode under your leadership if care is not taken.
Dr., the dialogic is, if per your breakdown, the consumer ( student ) learn that she is paying the extra percentage to improving and safeguarding her health, and considering the fact that the percentage is reasonable, she would pay even if not readily, grudgingly. If 10 percent of this increment will be used for the new site, that which all students are yearning to see completed, you might as well make it known; though I fore-hear the final year students say, “but we won’t benefit from it”. Well, that will be for another day. We the final year students will gradually come to terms that investing in our alma mater is an act of patriotism and pride.
Also, the SRC has demanded of you to review the 60 percent payment as a tranche for we who cannot afford the fees at once to about 40 or 50 percent. Dr, this is the least you can do for your fellow guardians who toil day and night to ensure their wards become educated, cultured and good citizens of the society through higher education.
I shall pause here and write to you soon after the breakdown or the excuse.
By Kabu Nartey
Best Student Activist 2017 ( LeGAP)
NUGS General Secretary
Kufuor Scholar
Final Year Student, GIJ.
