Speaking in an interview, Rev. Fr. Sekyere revealed that in several galamsey-affected areas, including parts of Manso in the Ashanti Region, schools are struggling to maintain attendance and discipline.

“I don’t want to put out those schools’ names here, but the fact is that we have students who are involved in galamsey. In the various schools in the galamsey areas—the Manso area and all those places—school reopens, and students really don’t come to school early.

“Some of them will come to school after a month, some of them after two months, and the kind of indiscipline they also exhibit in schools is very alarming,” he said.

He further disclosed that illegal miners have encroached on school lands in some communities, forcing school authorities to operate in unsafe conditions.

“In some areas, galamsey is also encroaching on school land here and there, so we deemed it as a concern, and we needed to talk about it so that authorities would do something about it for us, so that the future of these youth would be secured,” he explained.

The CHASS President lamented that many students involved in galamsey return to school with destructive habits and lifestyles that disrupt teaching and learning.

“Some of them are involved anyway, so they take long in coming, and because of what they do and the lifestyle over there, they come to school, and some of them are doing drugs that they do, really destroying their lives,” he revealed. “We see it as a very serious concern.

“Because, you know, if you put students in school and then, because some of them are involved in galamsey, they are not really coming to school, it makes teaching and learning very difficult. The teacher will be there; students won’t come in,” he lamented.

Rev. Fr. Sekyere stressed that the situation threatens the future of Ghana’s youth and called for urgent government intervention.

He expressed support for calls for a possible state of emergency declaration in illegal mining zones to restore order and safeguard the country’s human capital.

“So, as a conference, we also try to add our voice to the authorities to do something about it in a very urgent manner,” he urged. “If the government sees that to be something very important to do, why not? They should go ahead and do it because we have to secure the future of this country. We can’t allow galamsey to destroy us.”

Source: Clinton Yeboah  

The Apegusu Development Queen Mother and Founder of the OPK Foundation in the Asuogyaman District, Nana Yaa Piesie Kwafobea I, has urged students in Apegusu to take their academics seriously, stressing that they are the future leaders of Ghana.

Addressing the pupils, the traditional leader encouraged them to remain disciplined, listen to their teachers, and respect school authorities, noting that such obedience and dedication would shape them into responsible citizens capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.

The maiden edition, held from August 4 to 29, 2025, was designed to help pupils build confidence, improve communication skills, and reinforce knowledge acquired during the school term.

Ms. Osei-Asare explained that the initiative was introduced to keep children meaningfully engaged during the holidays while preventing a decline in their academic performance.

She commended teachers and parents for their dedication to the programme, stressing the vital role of educators in nurturing students despite existing infrastructure challenges.

Looking ahead, the MP underscored the need for greater teacher motivation and improved educational infrastructure, noting that government must provide a more conducive learning environment.

The vacation classes add to Osei-Asare’s ongoing interventions in the constituency, which include scholarships, school infrastructure projects, and the distribution of learning materials, reaffirming her commitment to advancing education in Atiwa East.

Source: Ohene Amponsah

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The victims, identified only by their first names, Lukman and Gideon, were reportedly in their dormitory when the assailants stormed the school premises and opened fire, killing them instantly.

The shocking incident has left the school community and residents of the wider North East Region in deep distress.

Sources from the enclave disclosed to Myjoyonline that the incident is linked to the controversial Bawku conflict.

Assembly Member for the Denugu Electoral Area, Dasmani Fuseini, and uncle to one of the deceased students, confirmed the attack.

He disclosed that the bodies of the victims remain in police custody, with the bereaved families currently in the process of retrieving them for burial.

The Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation into the incident, as calls grow for heightened security across educational institutions in conflict-prone areas.

Source: myjoyonline

The donation exercise, held on Friday, July 11, 2025, was led by the Office of the Women’s Commissioner, Ms. Freda Kumi, with support from SRC President Abraham Norman Nortey. The initiative reached hundreds of students and was widely lauded by beneficiaries as a timely and thoughtful intervention.

Ms. Kumi described the gesture as part of a broader effort by the SRC to address gender-specific challenges that affect academic focus and personal well-being.

“We know the quiet battles many female students face during their menstrual cycles. This initiative is about more than hygiene—it’s about restoring dignity, offering support, and tackling stigma head-on,” she said.

Many students expressed deep appreciation for the support. Ama, a level 200 student from the Faculty of Social Sciences, said:

“There are times we have to prioritize between books and basic hygiene needs. This makes a real difference.”

Another student, Rita, echoed similar sentiments:

“It’s more than just pads—it’s about being seen, heard, and valued.”

SRC President Abraham Norman Nortey emphasized the Council’s commitment to practical, people-centered leadership:

“Leadership should be responsive. This is one of several initiatives we are rolling out to ensure that no student is left behind in their academic journey due to preventable challenges.”

The donation ceremony, which featured music and brief solidarity speeches, also served as a platform to spotlight the broader national conversation on menstrual health and equity, especially within academic institutions.

With this initiative, the UCC SRC joins a growing number of student bodies across Ghana working to eliminate period poverty and promote inclusive support systems on campuses.

Source: Ivy Priscilla Setordjie

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The programme, which was instituted in 2012 and forms one of the flagship initiatives of the Commission, provides a unique platform for accomplished personalities to educate young Ghanaians on civic responsibilities, national identity, and active citizenship.

It also offers mentorship that inspires, guides, and contributes meaningfully to national development.

The celebration, under the theme “Ghana’s Future: The Role of the Ghanaian Child,” acknowledges children not just as beneficiaries of national policies but as active participants in the country’s development.

Speaking at the Creative Ambassadors Montessori School in La to officially launch the week-long celebration, Madam Paulina Mensah, Director for Social Welfare and Community Development at the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, challenged the students to work collaboratively in shaping a Ghana defined by unity, honesty, and integrity.

She emphasised the need for children to live responsibly, noting that their choices today will influence their future. She also admonished them to uphold truth, resist examination malpractices, and act with integrity in all aspects of life.

Touching on core Ghanaian values, Madam Mensah urged the students to be patriotic by serving and loving Ghana, tolerating the views of others, working together to build peace, following school rules, keeping the environment clean by avoiding littering, and rejecting all forms of academic dishonesty.
“Cheating in exams today undermines leadership tomorrow,” she stated.

For his part, Mr. Emmanuel Mettle, Director of the NCCE in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality, underscored the need for students to live by Ghanaian values to enable them to become responsible citizens who contribute their quota to national development.

He also expressed his gratitude to Madam Mensah for accepting the invitation to be part of the celebration.

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In an interview with Adom News at Wamahinso during the SRC Week celebration of Gyamfi Kumanini Senior High Technical School, he explained that the education directorate has partnered with the Ghana Police Service to sensitise students on the dangers and consequences of small arms possession.

He also indicated that school management teams are in constant discussions with parents, encouraging them to closely monitor their children and be aware of the items they carry from home to school.

In addition, Frank Otchere mentioned that students have formed vigilant groups in schools to promptly alert authorities whenever they suspect that any of their colleagues may be carrying small arms.

He further stated that during school reopening periods, the education directorate has instructed school heads to thoroughly inspect all items brought in by students.

He added that daily searches are conducted at school gates to help prevent the possession of small arms.

Police officers have been deployed to the school to restore calm following violent clashes between students and members of the New Aplaku community.

Earlier, two individuals sustained injuries and are receiving treatment after community members confronted some students who were allegedly assaulting one of their colleagues.

Speaking to Adom News, Richard Acquah Mensah, an alumnus of Christian Methodist SHS, revealed that even teachers fear some of the students and urged authorities to implement stringent measures to restore discipline.

Meanwhile, some aggrieved residents have warned that the situation could escalate if urgent steps are not taken to address the issue.

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The incident happened at Twifo Praso in the Central Region on Wednesday August 21, 2024 at about 8:pm.

They are in Police custody for allegedly mobilising their gang to lynch the spiritualist, who has been identified as Abdul Latif.

Abdul Latif after some incantations, is said to have accused one of them of stealing a mobile phone, which belonged to a junior student.

The junior student’s phone had gone missing and the students reportedly sought the intervention of the spiritualist to help them identify who stole the phone.

When the spiritualist, Abdul Latif accused one of the students as being the thief, he reportedly went and mobilised his gang numbering about 10 who in turn ambushed and attacked Abdul Latif and subjected him to severe beatings until he died.

They then dragged his body into a bush and covered it with weeds.

The Police recovered the body and deposited it at the Twifo Praso Government Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Graphiconline reported that, the incident sparked outrage among some youth in Twifo Praso, who planned to storm the school campus for revenge.

But a timely intervention by the Police prevented violence.

It took reinforcement teams from the Central North Regional Police Command to maintain order and ensure peace in the area.

The father of the deceased, Yaw Nkrumah said after the phone incident, his son had been attacked twice by some students of the school but he was able to face the students and left unharmed on both occasions.

He said the one that led to his death was the third time he had been attack by the students.

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The group, known as ‘Concerned Students of the Sandwich Colleges of Education,’ comprises students from five colleges: Tumu College of Education, Gambaga College of Education, Saint Vincent College of Education, Dambai College of Education, McCoy College of Education, and Al-Faruq College of Education.

The students claim they completed their programs between 2021 and 2022 but have yet to receive their certificates from UDS.

During a press conference in Walewale, the group expressed their frustration, highlighting the significant impact the delay has had on their lives.

“Our parents and guardians thought we’ve wasted their money and they feel scammed. They’re disappointed in us, their wards and spouses ‘, the group said, in a statement read by spokesperson Christy Avuyem.

“Many women have lost peace in their marriages because their supporting husbands feel they have either failed their programme or wasted their money,” she continued. “They [parents and guardians] cannot believe that we’ve completed paying the huge school fees, yet came home empty-handed,” they said.

The group added that, the delay has impeded their personal growth, preventing them from seeking admissions, promotions, or pursuing higher education.

They questioned why UDS, which prides itself as the leading university in the north, takes over two years to issue certificates when other universities typically do so within four months.

“We cannot seek admissions, neither can we seek promotions, and neither can we pursue higher education because of the absence of our certificates.

“UDS as the premium university of the north has disappointed the north and proven to be inefficient, hence would hinder the quality of education delivery and patronage of their services,” the group said.

The students issued a one-week ultimatum for the university to release their certificates or face radical actions.

They demanded the dismissal or resignation of Abdul Wahid Mohammed for his perceived indifference and unprofessional conduct.

They also called for the removal of Mr. Sammy from the Students Data System Unit for failing to authorize certificate printing.

Additionally, the group criticized the Director for Distance and Continuing Education, Dr. Cecilia Alimatu Issaka, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, for their indifference to the students’ plight.

They urged the National Accreditation Board and the Ministry of Education to intervene for an amicable resolution.

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Taking to Twitter, he revealed plans to pay tuition fees for students during his upcoming school tour.

“I will be paying tuition fees for some students when my school tour commences, both high school and tertiary. Will pick 1 student from each school and cover their fees till they complete school,” Medikal tweeted.

I will be paying tusion fees for some students when my school tour commences, both high school and tertiary. Will pick 1 student from each school and cover their fees till they complete school.

— Medikalbyk (@Medikalbyk) May 16, 2024

Medikal’s announcement has garnered praise from fans and followers, highlighting his commitment to giving back to the community.

The rapper’s school tour is anticipated to provide further opportunities for him to connect with fans and make a positive impact on the lives of Ghanaian students.

Check out reactions below: 

As the academic year progresses and final exams approach, many students find themselves grappling with the burden of school fees and exam fees, often struggling to meet the financial demands placed upon them.

Recognising this challenge, the 61st Emefa-led SRC has stepped forward to alleviate some of the pressure, demonstrating its commitment to fostering academic success and ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity to excel.

The project, dubbed the Onuado Scholarship Fund, an initiative and a campaign promise of the SRC President, Gertrude Emefa Donkor which has been warmly welcomed by the entire student body underscores the SRC’s dedication to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

“As Executive Council of the SRC, we are honoured to support our colleagues in their academic pursuits,” remarked Gertrude Emefa Donkor. “We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to remove financial barriers to education and empower ourselves to focus on our studies”.

The announcement comes at a crucial time for many students, providing much-needed relief as they prepare to sit for their exams. The move is even more commendable as it has made provision for every single student who applied.

The gesture has been met with gratitude and appreciation from students who now have the opportunity to focus on their studies with renewed determination and confidence.

“The scholarship is very timely. Many of us were wondering how we were going to overcome this challenge. For me, this is not just a financial assistance, it is a demonstration of the commitment of the SRC executives to our success and a belief in our potential to achieve greatness” said Justice Owusu, a beneficiary of the fund.

As students prepare to write their exams in June, they can do so with the knowledge that they have the unwavering support of the Students’ Representative Council behind them, fueling their journey towards success and fulfilment.

The Executive Council of the SRC is made up of: Gertrude Emefa Donkor (President), Benjamin Agyemang Duah (Veep-Greenhill Campus) Sarah Maanaa Ansah(Veep-UPSA Campus), Danielle Ellemawusi Danso(Veep-Kumasi Campus), Amanda Edinam Ahiadormey(General Secretary), Maamah Amin Oteng(Organizing Secretary), Joshua Yirenkyi-Smart Opoku(Treasurer).

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This initiative is in conjunction with Kelish Printing and Shed Light and the Assembly to enable Senior High Schools in the area to shine at the national level.

They organized a mathematics quiz among the three schools including, Akrokere Asare BEDIAKO, Dompoase, and Fomena T I Ahmadiya Senior High Schools.

Speaking to Adom news correspondent, Isaac K. Normanyo after the competition, the District Director of Education, Alhaji Ibrahim A. Amankwah said each of the three schools presented 100 students to participate in the quiz.

He pointed out that, the process will be continued so that the students will get a fair grasp of the subject to enable them to go and compete at the national level.

Mr. Amankwah explained that, most students fear mathematics but that notion is wrong as the subject should not be feared.

He added that, plans are underway to make the Math appealing to the students for them to understand.

“We have three Senior High Schools in our district. We have realized that we don’t always make it far when it comes to the NSMQ so we are using this opportunity to prepare our students. Over 100 students in each school sat for the quiz. We want the students to take Mathematics more seriously, most students are always afraid of the subject. We are hopefully going to change that with this initiative,” he said.

Some of the students who also spoke to Adom News said the quiz would go a long way to help them in their school examinations.

He clarified that the selection process for local scholarships of PhD, master’s, and first-degree programmes, does not include interviews.

Mr. Ampofo Boadu noted that, the primary criteria for selection is the applicant’s academic performance.

He said his outfit prefer candidates who have studied at recognised universities and can furnish them with the necessary documentation.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, Mr. Ampofo Boadu stressed that, Ghanaian citizenship is a fundamental requirement for application and first-year students, continuing students are also eligible to apply.

“A significant portion of successful applicants typically originates from institutions such as KNUST, UCC, and UG. To be eligible, you must be a Ghanaian citizen, and the relevance of your academic program is also key. We look closely at the individual’s academic performance, and we prefer candidates who have attended recognized universities and are capable of providing the necessary details” he explained.

What differentiates GETFund is their practice of consolidating all fees for recipients, streamlining the payment process once individuals are prepared to meet their financial obligations.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased were both 200-Level students and were writing ongoing examinations when the incident happened.

According to an eyewitness, a KWASU student, who spoke on condition of anonymity: “We suspect they were lovers and became concerned when they were not seen during an examination and for three days.

“It was when some of their friends got to their hostel room outside the school that they found them dead and naked.”

 Reacting to the development, the Director, University Relations of KWASU, Dr Saeedat Aliyu, said there was no official communication on the matter.

However, the Police Spokesman in the state, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the incident, said: “The information is that the two of them were found dead inside their room and the police were alerted.

“Our officers pulled down the door and they were taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for autopsy.

“Investigation into the matter is ongoing,” Okasanmi said. 

According to the School’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Norris Bekoe, security on campus will be beefed up.

However, females should contribute their quota to ensure that they are safe and out of harm’s way.

“We play our part as a university but female students should also ensure their own safety. You are not supposed to enter a male student’s hostel when you know it’s not your hostel.

“Even if you have to go, you are being encouraged to get a colleague to go with you. But for the meantime, we are stepping up our education and we have security people on campus who are making sure that the students are safe,” Dr Bekoe stated.

This proposition was made after six KNUST students allegedly gang-raped a first-year student.

It was the second incident in a week.

The six were subsequently remanded by the Asokore Mampong Magistrate.

Meanwhile, the legal representative for the defendants, Richard Adu Darko, denied the claims levelled against his clients.

“These are students of KNUST who have been accused of rape. Looking at the facts that have been presented to us, honestly, we don’t see rape, but that’s what they have been accused of. Once someone is accused, the law says that the person is innocent until proven guilty or the person pleads otherwise.

“So now, until they plead that they are guilty, or a court of competent jurisdiction finds them guilty, they are innocent,” Mr. Darko indicated.

“As GIJ is a predominant journalism institution, there are several beats when it comes to the craft of news reporting. All over the world, research has shown that the Education beat is not always at the forefront. So you see someone interested in the Political beat, the Sports beat, and when something happens in the educational arena,  the person goes to cover it. This workshop is as a result of  what can be done to make sure that students who will be graduating from GIJ will be interested in Education beat. Even if they are interested in the Political beat, the Business beat, the Education beat will be something that will be at the back of their minds as they go to the working world,” he said.

The pilot programme on education broadcast and video editing skills also focused on giving students practical skills on news writing and reporting on education stories.

According to Dr Semarco, journalism students need to have the knowledge on key areas in education to aid them better understand the sector.

Some 20 students underwent the two weeks training successfully at no cost. Certificates were awarded to the participating students.

One of the facilitators of the training, Abraham Tetteh Dzablatey, CEO of Akpasa Media, said the training was to guide students to understand how the structures of the educational system is formed and how materials are being produced in the digital sense.

He further explained that the students were taken through skills acquisition, knowledge and ethics of educational reporting, and digital educational material production.

“They were divided into groups and they learnt how to develop their own slides, like a lecture slides. They were taught how to use the camera to shoot videos.

“So they shot their own videos and edited their contents by themselves. After this pilot training I expect that, it will be expanded to train more students,” he added.

Some students, who benefitted from the training, expressed joy with the skills acquired.

About 30 pupils of the Pentecost Preparatory School in

Koforidua in the Eastern Region have been involved in an accident at Oyoko in the New Juaben North Municipality.

They have been rushed to the Koforidua regional hospital after a bus they were travelling in run into a ditch and landed on its roof.

Police report indicates the pupils were on their way to school on Thursday morning when the incident happened.

Five of the pupils, who sustained multiple injuries, are being given special attention by the medical staff there.

The bus is reported to have developed a fault, causing the driver to park it.

However, it run into the ditch while he tried to alight to fix the fault.

The rest, including the driver of the bus with registration number GN 7377-Y, are responding to treatment.

Officials of NADMO, police and the Ghana National Fire Service were at the scene to rescue victims.

The rate drop when school reopen, the GNFS added.

The Director of Public Affairs at the GNFS, Timothy Osafo-Affum, who made these revelations in an interview with 3FM explained that “pranks calls are seasonal”.

He said on average, the two centres receive 22,000 to 24,000 prank calls a daily basis in Accra and Kumasi.

“Prank calls to our centres are seasonal. It rises when students are on holiday but it subside when they are in school”.

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ACFO I Osafo-Affum blamed parents over these rampant prank calls which he believes is impeding the work of the services.

“Because we the parents are teaching them [students and pupils]. They are also learning what we do”.

ACFO I Osafo-Affum explained that “they are wasting resources”.

“They are preventing those who need the services”.

Call centres

The Public Affairs Director noted that the entire GNFS has just two call centres in Accra and Kumasi with limited consoles to pick calls.

“We have five consoles which can pick five calls at a time. We have three in Accra and two in Kumasi. National security installed these consoles for us which is not adequate”.

Asked on why they should not install more consoles to be able to pick more calls at a time, ACFO I Osafo-Affum explained that “they wanted to give us 15 consoles but due to lack of space, we could not take them”.

“So we are able to accommodate only three in Accra but nationwide, we have a total of five because of availability of space. If we have space, the National Security will add more”.

One African medical student told CNN that she and other foreigners were ordered off the public transit bus at a checkpoint between Ukraine and Poland border.

They were told to stand aside as the bus drove off with only Ukrainian nationals on board, she says.

Rachel Onyegbule, a Nigerian first-year medical student in Lviv was left stranded at the border town of Shehyni, some 400 miles from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

She told CNN: “More than 10 buses came and we were watching everyone leave. We thought after they took all the Ukrainians they would take us, but they told us we had to walk, that there were no more buses and told us to walk.”

“My body was numb from the cold and we haven’t slept in about 4 days now. Ukrainians have been prioritized over Africans — men and women — at every point. There’s no need for us to ask why. We know why. I just want to get home,” Onyegbule told CNN in a telephone call Sunday as she waited in line at the border to cross into Poland.

Onyegbule says she eventually got her exit document stamped on Monday morning around 4.30 a.m. local time.

Allegations of violence

Saakshi Ijantkar, a fourth-year medical student from India, also shared her ordeal with CNN Monday via a phone call from Lviv, western Ukraine.

“There are three checkposts we need to go through to get to the border. A lot of people are stranded there. They don’t allow Indians to go through.

CNN has been unable to confirm the identities or affiliations of the people who operated the checkpoints, but Ijantkar said they were all wearing uniforms.

Saakshi Ijantkar, a fourth-year medical student from India, also shared her ordeal with CNN Monday via a phone call from Lviv, western Ukraine.

“There are three checkposts we need to go through to get to the border. A lot of people are stranded there. They don’t allow Indians to go through.

CNN has been unable to confirm the identities or affiliations of the people who operated the checkpoints, but Ijantkar said they were all wearing uniforms.

They allow 30 Indians only after 500 Ukrainians get in. To get to this border you need to walk 4 to 5 kilometers from the first checkpoint to the second one. Ukrainians are given taxis and buses to travel, all other nationalities have to walk. They were very racist to Indians and other nationalities,'” the 22-year-old from Mumbai told CNN.

She added that she witnessed violence from the guards to the students waiting at the Ukrainian side of the Shehyni-Medyka border.

Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 are no longer allowed to leave the country, but that decree does not extend to men who are foreign nationals.

Ijantkar says she saw Indian men were left in queues for long hours along with other non-Ukrainian nationalities.

“They were very cruel. The second checkpoint was the worst. When they opened the gate for you to cross to the Ukrainian border, you stay between the Ukraine and Poland, the Ukrainian army don’t allow Indian men and boys to cross when you get there. They only allowed the Indian girls to get in. We had to literally cry and beg at their feet. After the Indian girls got in, the boys were beaten up. There was no reason for them to beat us with this cruelty,” Ijantkar said.

“I saw an Egyptian man standing at the front with his hands on the rails, and because of that one guard pushed him with so much force and the man hit the fence, which is covered in spikes, and he lost consciousness,” she said.

“We took him outside to give him CPR. They just didn’t care and they were beating the students, they didn’t give two hoots about us, only the Ukrainians,” she added.

CNN contacted the Ukrainian army in light of the allegations of violence, but did not immediately hear back.

Freezing conditions

Ijantkar said many of the students waited for at least a day, but she eventually turned back to Lviv because she was terrified, waiting in freezing temperatures with no food, water, or blankets.

“I saw people shaking so terribly in the cold, they were collapsing because of hypothermia. Some have frostbite and blisters. We couldn’t get any help and (were) just standing for hours,” she said.

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the Border Guard Service of Ukraine told CNN Monday that allegations of segregation at the borders are untrue and that the guards are working under enormous pressure at the borders — but are working within the law.

“From the day when (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has made an attack on Ukraine, the influx of people trying to leave Ukraine and the war zone has increased tremendously. If earlier, people trying to cross the border into the European Union and back amounted up to 50,000 (people) a day, now the amount doubled and continues to increase. There is huge pressure on checkpoints, on border guards.

“In order to speed up the process and allow larger amounts of people to cross, the government has simplified the procedure of the border crossing as much as possible. Due to the increase in the volume of the individuals crossing, people have to stay in long queues. However, I can state that everything happens according to the law. There is absolutely no division by nation, citizenship, or class at the border,” Demchenko said.

Ukraine attracts many foreign students wanting to study medicine because it has a strong reputation for medical courses and tuition — and other expenses are much lower than in programs in other Western nations.

Another stranded student told CNN on Sunday that border staff on the Ukrainian side of the border were showing prejudice against foreign students.

“They are depriving the foreigners. They are being very racist with us at the border. They tell us that Ukrainian citizens have to pass first while telling foreigners to stay back,” said Nneka Abigail, a 23-year-old medical student from Nigeria.

“It’s very difficult at the moment for Nigerians and other foreigners to cross. The Ukrainian officials are allowing more Ukrainians to cross into Poland. For instance, around 200 to 300 Ukrainians can cross, and then only 10 foreigners or 5 will be allowed to cross… and the duration of time is too long. It’s really hard.. they push us, kick us, insult us,” Abigail said.

Africans have been sharing their experiences online using the hashtag #AfricansinUkraine. Their stories have prompted an outcry and a number of crowdfunding appeals have been launched to try help those stranded in the country.

One of those who shared their story online is Korrine Sky, a medical student from Zimbabwe who had been studying in Ukraine since September.

She fled the country on Friday but, with the aid of two London-based friends, managed to raise more than £20,000 ($26,800) to help stranded Afro-Caribbean students.

“This situation we’re in is a life-or-death situation. We need to make sure that all the African students cross the border successfully and safely,” she said, speaking on Instagram Live from the Romanian side of the border on Sunday.

Around 500,000 refugees from Ukraine have so far crossed to neighboring European countries, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said on Monday.

Are home countries doing enough to help their citizens?

Some of those CNN spoke to said they did not blame the Ukrainian authorities for prioritizing their citizens but rather their own governments for not making arrangements to assist them out of the country.

The “Nigerian government is being their usual nonchalant self,” Onyegbule said.

“There are many of us in Ukraine. They can’t just leave us like this. It’s so sad but we are used to the bad governance in Nigeria. It’s very sad.”

Onyegbule acknowledged that there were Nigerian officials waiting to meet her and others once she crossed over into Poland.

“It would have been so helpful in Ukraine, we were looking for someone to speak on our behalf there.”

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Twitter that Ukrainian authorities had assured him that there were no restrictions on foreigners wanting to leave Ukraine.

“Problem is the result of chaos on the border and checkpoints leading to them,” he stated, adding that he is “personally coordinating with our missions in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Romania and Hungary to ensure we get our citizens out of Ukraine and bring back to Nigeria those ready to return while supporting those who are remaining in Ukraine.”

CNN has contacted Onyeama for comment on allegations that the Nigerian government hasn’t done enough to help its citizens leave Ukraine.

African nations on the UN Security Council Monday condemned discrimination against African citizens at the Ukrainian border during a UNSC meeting at the UN HQ in New York City.

“We strongly condemn this racism and believe that it is damaging to the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today. The mistreatment of African peoples on Europe’s borders needs to cease immediately, whether to the Africans fleeing Ukraine or to those crossing the Mediterranean,” Kenyan Ambassador to the UN Martin Kimani said Monday.

Onyegbule, the first-year medical student, said she was attracted to study in Ukraine because she was looking for a “safe and cheap option outside Nigeria.”

“Generally living in Ukraine has been peaceful, it’s a beautiful country. Sometimes in the trams, people don’t want to sit beside you and they stare at you but generally, the Ukrainians are nice people,” she said.

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The incident is said to have happened in Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku.

Further reports say the lecturer sent the students out of the lecture room for not putting on their bra, panties.

Students also wearing tattered jeans were also not spared.

A student, who took the video, bemoaned why they are being treated like teenagers when they are university students and have free will with respect to fashion choices.

Watch The Video Below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GossipMillNaija (@gossipmilltv)

Each beneficiary made up of level 300 and 400 students, received GHS 400 each with the exception of the medical student who was aided with GHS 2000.

The MP, in an interview with Adom News’ Odehyba Owusu Job, disclosed that the support is funded by his first share of the Common Fund.

According to him, the decision to use the great chunk of his MP’s Common Fund to support needy-but-brilliant students was born out of his belief in John Dewey’s quote “Education should be a right but not a privilege for the limited few”.

Mr Wakpai also said his office received thousands of applications which was shortlisted to 112 students through rigorous scrutiny.

It’s based on this a total amount of GHS 46,800.00 was disbursed to 112 tertiary students to cater for their admission and other related expenses.

He congratulated all the beneficiaries and encouraged them to take their studies very seriously as it has the capacity to make them great professionals who will in the long run lift the image of Kpandai as well as reduce the poverty and illiteracy rate.

Speaking after receiving the funds, some beneficiary students also thank the MP and pledged to use the monies for the intended purpose.

This comes after the police detained 40 pupils following chaos at the school during which windows were smashed and the headmaster’s vehicle was stoned.

It is reported that the pupils were protesting the poor diet and learning condition they have been subjected to.

While many of them were left with serious injuries inflicted on them by the police called upon to intervene, others were whisked away.

The pupils were later released without charge.

For this, the lawyers are demanding the names of the police officers who assaulted the school children, predominantly minors.

“On behalf of parents and guardians of some Gokomere students, we have given the Officer in Charge of Masvingo Rural Police Station a seven-day ultimatum to investigate and respond by giving us names of police officers who brutally assaulted and tortured them on November 7 and 8,” the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights fumed.

In other news, iHarare reported that Zimbabwe Defence Forces Air Vice-Marshal, Michael Moyo, has dragged one of the top private schools in Harare to court over USD fees.

Air Vice-Marshal Michael Moyo, who is the Zimbabwe Defence Forces University’s vice-chancellor, took the Dominican Convent School to court after they withdrew an offer letter for form one place for his daughter when he refused to pay school fees in United States dollars.

Images from the event at Hazard High School in Kentucky show girls dancing dressed as Hooters waitresses and boys in lingerie being spanked by paddles, all while headteacher Donald Mobelini watches on with a smile.

Other snaps show scantily clad students strutting down a makeshift catwalk. Most concerning, one boy appears bent over in front of Mobelini, dancing in tights and a dress.

Other teachers appeared to be getting dances from students as well.

The images have since been deleted from the school’s Facebook page. The event had previously been listed there as a “man pageant”.

Mobelini, who is also the mayor of the city of Hazard, has twice previously been investigated for incidents involving alcohol and students, one of which involved pictures of him driving kids around as they drank and smoked.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing after it was concluded that he was unaware of the drinking.

Sondra Combs, Hazard Independent Superintendent, told the Lexington Herald-Leader yesterday: “The incident is under investigation and as you know anything under investigation I really can’t talk about.

“Once the investigation is complete, appropriate action will be taken.”

She also apologised for the incident in a statement but didn’t elaborate on the investigation.

Nema Brewer, co-founder of the public education group Ky. 120 United, was among those leading the criticism of Hazard High School.

“Public education is under so much fire right now. This kind of stuff is not helpful. In fact, it’s disgusting. It appears they are sexualizing young adults,” she said.

After the disturbing images were shared online people took to Twitter to express their outrage.

“How does that set of circumstances even come about… in a school?” asked one concerned user.

Another said: “I haven’t heard if the students planned this, but why wouldn’t every adult stop these kids when the students started giving lap dances? Those kids feel entirely too comfortable around those adults in that high school.”

“I’m sorry to say I’m from Kentucky when I hear things like this,” added a third.

According to the university, the students were found guilty of various examination malpractices frowned upon by the school.

The affected students comprise 51 males and 14 females.

The hardest-hit department was the HND Mechanical which had 17 students followed by HND Electrical with seven.

Others were welding, construction, accounting, among others which had between five to one student.

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A notice, which contained the names and Index numbers of the students, said the decision was arrived at after the disciplinary board exhausted disciplinary processes.

Check out the names of affected persons below:

Two young men, believed to be students, have been spotted in a viral video trading blows over a lady.

Though the identity of the parties is not immediately known, the lady in question is also said to be a student of the university the two students also attend.

The two in the video displayed their fighting skills on a street in front of a hostel as they jab each other.

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in the video, a witness was heard running a commentary as the two fight for the ‘title belt.’

Scores of students watched the young men from their hostel corridors while a few, who embarked on a venture to separate them, failed.

Watch the video attached below:

The robbers also shot two others including a Brazilian contractor working on the Bolgatanga Pulmakom road and a ‘Mahama can do’ rider.

The pupil, Musah Hassan, was declared dead while receiving treatment at the Zebilla government hospital.

The expatriate, who was working on the road opposite the site of the robbery scene, was shot in his right leg while the rider of the ‘Mahama Can do’ motorcycle was shot in the arm through the windscreen.

Residents of Zebilla were aggrieved and accused the police of not acting to stop such robbery attacks in the town.

According to witnesses, the robbery happened about 200 metres away from the police station but the police failed to act to stop the attack.

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The angry residents, incensed by the posture of the police, thronged the station with stones and sticks.

The police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.

The incident brings to four the number of similar attacks that have occurred in the area this month.

At press briefing organised by the Ministry of Health to give updates on the SARS 2, the official name given the virus by the World Health Organization (WHO), Director of Public Health, Dr Patrick Aboagye said Ghana had not yet taken the decision to evacuate Ghanaians from the virus-hit China.

He explained that the government’s decision was in line with the WHO’s advice on evacuation.

He cited the United States of America as an example of a country that had evacuated its citizens but noted that those evacuated were kept in a special area with “negative pressure” to prevent a possible spread of the virus, a system Ghana does not have.

He noted that the government was in close contact with the Ghanaian Embassy in China and Chinese authorities to ensure that Ghanaian citizens were given the needed assistance as well as being in touch with their families in Ghana.

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As at Wednesday, February 12, 2020, 15 suspected cases of Coronavirus were investigated with all of them proving negative.

Dr Aboagye also disclosed that an average of 2,500 are screened at the Kotoka International Airport daily with four suspected cases found, however, a test on all four has proved to be negative.

He also disclosed that the ministry has budgeted for GHS 35m out of which GHS 2.5m has been advanced for the purposes of education and the procurement of some essential materials to check the outbreak.

According to them, they have been locked down in Wuhan for almost 21 days now with all shops in the city closed, making it difficult for them to access basic necessities, a situation which has left many traumatised.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, the immediate past president of National Union of Ghana Students-China, Philip Arthur, said they expect to immediately emulate the evacuation processes other countries have started.

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“Wuhan is on a locked down with no services running. Most countries have begun evacuating their nationals from China and as it stands now, all of the about 300 Ghanaians demand an immediate evacuation,” he said.

 According to Mr Arthur, though the students appreciate the support being rendered to them, they believe an evacuation will be a better option to save all of the students.

“The government gave us some money to procure medical supplies but the issue is we don’t need the money because we can’t even go out to buy those medical necessities because the shops are closed,” he lamented.

He further stressed students do not know when they will even resume academic activities which was scheduled for February since the reported cases keep increasing by the day.

Meanwhile, Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says the Akufo-Addo government cannot continue to ignore the plea of the Ghanaian students for evacuation.

Mr Ablakwa maintained that the government needs to consider the risk factors and act fast.

Joy News, in a visit to three basic schools in the area, has discovered that Al-manara Islamic, Jafo Experimental and Canteen Primary were closed while pupils were loitering about with others engaged in what can best be described as wrestling.

READ ALSO: Striking teachers to return to class following court order

At the time of the team’s visit to Al-manara Islamic Primary School, there was neither a headteacher nor class teachers to intervene in the fighting pupils.

The wrestle continued until an educationalist, Alhaji  Gbanfuwurah Abudu, arrived to ensure some order between the pupils.

The situation at the Canteen Primary school was no different as neither pupils nor teachers were present during the visit.

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In Jafo Experimental Primary School, classrooms were opened for pupils but only two teachers under the NABCO programme were in attendance.

Despite the strike action, The Ghana School Feeding Program was in display, perhaps, influencing the presence of these pupils in school.

The students were reported to have waylaid the teacher on his way home, beat him severely, resulting in a forehead injury.

According to sources, cops from the ‘A’ Division Police Station were immediately alerted and they arrested some pupils on the school premises.

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Giving an account of the incident, activist, Victor Ojei, said: “Hard drugs are now being consumed by secondary school students in Delta State. These kids now take all forms of hard drugs and get intoxicated to start fighting their teachers.

According to him, school authorities are required to pay sum of N15,000 to receive support from the state government when cases of abuse are reported.

Furthermore, he advised State government to facilitate public schools with funding for intervention by  Police,  Anti-Cult groups Non Governmental Organizations.

“The Governor of Delta State needs to know that in 5 to 10 years time, crime rate will increase and there will be no peace if the state government fails to follow my advice or solution,” he said.

The expelled students, Faiodun Olabode and Ediae Silvia were both students of the Mass Communication Department

The students, whose activities were against the ethics of the institution, were expelled from all academic activities.

A statement from the university authorities asked the students never be seen on the school premises.

The statement by the university registrar, Sinire O. Cyril, conveying the verdict said the school had zero tolerance for s3xual immoralities and related activities.

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During a visit to the school by Adom News’ Regional Correspondent, Illiasu Rauf, he observed cracks on the school block and found the floor of the classrooms to be rough with many of the windows and doors broken.

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In an interview with Adom News, headmaster of the school, Mr Kanyidin Nakuwu Kennedy, said the school had not witnessed any form of renovation since its establishment.

“The problem is not for only pupils but our teachers also don’t have furniture to sit on so at times we find it difficult to mark class works and assignments. The nature of our building is also bad and gradually collapsing and forces us to close anytime it rains,” he said.

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Some pupils, who spoke to Adom News, appealed to the government, their Member of Parliament, Matthew Nyindam as well as non-governmental organisations to come to their aid as a matter of agency because they are now battling with back and neck pains.

One female pupil, Jemima added that her parents threatened to withdraw her from the school after she once fell from the window and got injured.

“I resisted when my mother on several occasions wanted to withdraw me from this school. Due to its deplorable nature, most parents have withdrawn their wards,” she said.

Source: Adomonline.com|Adom News|Illiasu Abdul Rauf

The police brutalized the demonstrating students and arrested a number of them when the students insisted on presenting their petition for a review of admission requirements and examinations management of the Law School to President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.

Several of the students and media workers sustained rubber bullet injuries in the process.

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Rawlings in tweets on Tuesday said the police action was uncalled for and that the conduct of the demonstration did not warrant the use of hot water cannons and rubber bullets.

He reminded the police that their actions ought to win the confidence of the people and not the reverse, saying “Monday’s actions rather sow seeds of discontent and encourage negative defiance.”

The government has through the Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah condemned the police management of the demonstration, calling it “embarrassing” and “unacceptable”.

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The students had marched from the Ghana School of Law at Makola on their way to the Jubilee House to present their petition when they were stopped at the Ako-Adjei Interchange with water cannons and rubber bullets. Thirteen of them were arrested.

The police had argued that the seat of government remains a security zone and would not allow the demonstrators access.

“The government also believes that the police must always abide by their clarion call which is to protect and serve… We are of the view that the handling of such a situation must always be done in a manner that allows a balanced achievement of the objectives,” said the Information Minister on Citi FM, adding that restraint should have been exercised.

The heavy and high-handed manner the Police handled the demonstration by law students was most uncalled for. The conduct of the demonstration did not warrant the use of hot water cannons and rubber bullets.

— Jerry John Rawlings (@officeofJJR) October 8, 2019

Police actions must win the confidence of the people, not the opposite. Monday's actions rather sow seeds of discontent and encourage negative defiance.

— Jerry John Rawlings (@officeofJJR) October 8, 2019

Source: Daily Graphic

Some disgruntled parents, whose wards were turned away by authorities of Mfantsipim Senior High School (SHS) in the Central region, have expressed disgust at the development.

The angry parents, who turned up at the school with their children, are pleading with President Nana Akufo-Addo to immediately intervene or they will storm the Jubilee House to ensure that their grievances are resolved.

The parents, who spoke on Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com, said they picked up the prospectus last Wednesday and were asked to report to the school on Sunday.

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The parents said they got to the school only to be told by the school’s authorities that the students, who were placed in the school under the self-placement module of the Computerised School Selection Placement System, were wrongly placed; thus they should go back home.

But, the parents have vowed not to leave the school till their wards are placed.

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 “My child had Mfantsipim SHS and we saw his name on the list, we went to the school later only to find out that his name is no more on the list. We have been sleeping here since Sunday and we won’t go back till our children are placed.

“How can they admit students who got aggregate 29 and 30 in the school to study science when our wards who got nine ones are turned away? We won’t accept this. We know our President is not aware of this and so he should intervene,” the parents cried.

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Listen to some angry parents in audio above:

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

The school is in such a dilapidated state that pupils have had to sometimes contend with snakes during contact hours.

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The pupils say there are occasions when they had to halt their studies because a snake may have found its way to the classroom.

A source close to the school said a number of reports sent to the Ghana Education Service on the behaviour of the unscrupulous people who use the classrooms for cooking have yielded no action.

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The bad nature of the school also means the school is at the mercy of the weather, forcing it to close anytime the weather threatened to rain.

The featured video above has more on the pupils’ predicaments.

Source: Adomonline.com/Adom News/Kofi Adjei

The exams, scheduled to run from Monday, June 10 to 14, 2019, will have 16,871 participating schools, 1,880 supervisors, 1,710 assistant supervisors and 18,136 invigilators.

Out of the total number, Ashanti Region has the highest number of 104,461 candidates, followed by the Greater Accra Region with 90,584, while Upper West has the least number of 13,109 candidates for the exams.

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Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, the Head of Public Relations, West Africa Examination Council in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said all was set for the commencement of the exams.

She said all stakeholders involved in the exams were briefed on the operations to ensure smooth and peaceful exams.

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Mrs Teye-Cudjoe cautioned supervisors who supported in examination malpractices to desist from the act, adding that anybody caught would face the full rigour of the law.

“We are informed that when the supervisors get hold of the question papers before the exams, they open it and solve it for the students,” she added.

She reiterated that supervisors are to open the question papers 15 minutes to the time (0900 hours).

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said all security arrangements had been put in place and were optimistic that the exams would end successfully.

She advised the candidates to focus on their studies and do independent work and avoid any examination malpractices.

The candidates will write English and Religious and Moral Education on the first day and end with Social Studies.

Source: GNA

Scores of students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) were barred from taking part in on-going end-of-semester exams due to their inability to pay their fees in full.

READ ALSO: GIJ to continue exams today amidst threats of demo

The situation resulted in a temporal closure of the institution following students agitations that resulted in authorities bringing the police.

Reacting to what led to the chaos on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem show Monday, Professor Kwansah-Aidoo explained that the payment of the fees as a precondition for writing the semester’s exams was not a new principle in the school.

“We are only enforcing the rule which has been there. The percentage has always been 80/ 20 for freshers and 60/40 for continuing students. So we were expecting the students to honour the agreement to pay the facility user fee as stated in their admission letter,” he noted.

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According to him, the management of the school, in their bid to getting all students to sit for the semester’s exams, extended the deadline on several occasions.

“We extended the deadlines to create more room for students who had registered to do so because the SRC told us the students were raising concerns so we thought it wise not to be unreasonable but to grant their requests,” he added.

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Trouble broke out on the GIJ campus on Sunday, December 3, 2018, after some students were locked out and refused the chance to write their end of semester examinations.

It took the intervention of the police for the situation to be brought under control but not after the examinations were cancelled.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei- Mensah, and GES officials made a swift intervention as security was deployed to halt the planned action on Friday.

It was in protest of management decision to have final year students write their examination in the dining hall instead of the classroom.

But Student Representative Council President, Samuel Opoku Adjei, led a delegation to present the apology letter to Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mary Owusu Akyaw.

K.T.I. students who have over the years been noted for violence have hardly been seen in such an apologetic demeanour.

Master Adjei Opoku who led the delegation explained,  “We are here to apologies what happened yesterday and this apology letter we have taken it to the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah, Regional Director of Education and also to our principal”.

“We the part-time (level four) students of Kumasi Technical Institute render unqualified apology for our bad behavior towards the school authorities.

“We deeply regret our actions and humbly plead with the institutes’ authorities to kindly forgive us,” he added.

The students have regretted their actions explaining the unsuccessful vigil was sparked by miscommunication between school authorities and students.

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Addressing the root cause of the matter is what Kennedy Agyapong is professing as a solution to solve the current impasse.

READ ALSO: KNUST riot: Heads must roll – Abronye DC

To the MP, though the students may have a point, vandalising the school’s properties was not the way to go.

“This issue is very sensitive and so if you comment on it and don’t take care, you may end up stepping on people’s toes and so inasmuch as I condemn the acts of the students, I think they may have a point and so it’s important that the student’s union sits with leadership to see the way forward” he stated on Adom TV’s morning show, Badwam Tuesday.

Kennedy Agyapong advised the students to have confidence in the leadership and channel their grievances to the rightful authorities instead of taking the laws into their own hands.

On his part, former Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Sampson Ahi has challenged authorities of KNUST to sit up and address the challenges confronting the school.

READ ALSO: How a security man’s banku pot was seized by rampaging KNUST students [Photos]

According to the Bodi lawmaker, there is a fundamental problem which needs to be addressed, therefore, it is important that authorities pay heed to the students’ concerns.

“I think there is a fundamental problem there which needs to be resolved. The authorities cannot be dictators because we are now in a democratic world and so it’s important that they listen to the students and solve the root cause amicably. Authorities must sit up and resolve the issue,” he said.

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Background

The demonstration organised by the Student Representative Council was a culmination of what they described as ‘oppression’ by the university administration headed by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso.

Students clad in red attire mounted roadblocks on campus. At least 30 vehicles have been damaged and glasses smashed.

Police were called to step in and the Ashanti Regional Security Council later imposed a curfew and closed down the school.

The students in protest of what they described as “oppression from school authorities,” destroyed school property and set fire to a number of vehicles.

RELATED STORY: Video: KNUST closed down indefinitely

As many as 30 cars were destroyed in the protest that has led to the indefinite closure of the university.

Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Akwesi Mensah Duku said the police, during the protest, arrested the 20 students.

However, due to the closure of the university, they have been cautioned and granted bail, pending investigations.

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DCOP Mensah Duku said a combined team of police and military personnel are in the school to ensure every student vacates the university’s premises by midday.

He stressed that only international students will remain and security will be provided for them.

DCOP Mensah Duku added that a team of heavily armed police and military personnel has also been deployed to the school as a 6 PM to 6 AM curfew begins to take effect.

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Media reports say the students started pelting the personnel of the operation ‘Calm Life’ unit of the Police Service with stones with the police responding by firing warning shots to disperse them.

READ ALSO: Brong-Ahafo REGSEC on peace mission to Japekrom and Drobo

He indicated that male students of the University hall, popularly referred to as Katanga, mounted road blocks on campus in protest against what they call oppression from school authorities.

A local reporter, Kwame Baffour Agyekum, noted that the students were marching to other halls of residence to prevent their colleagues from attending lectures.

READ ALSO: Class One boy traumatised after cleaner inserts finger into anus [Audio]

“The students set motor bikes belonging to security men in the school ablaze and vandalised other properties [of the university],” he added.

He said the police managed to drive the students away to secure properties of the university.

READ ALSO: Dismissed police officer arrested for stealing

The Students Representative Council (SRC) said they are continually being treated unfairly by management of the university.

READ ALSO: Class One boy traumatised after cleaner inserts finger into anus [Audio]

The protest comes on the back of the arrest of some students by police in the Ashanti Region.

A statement by the executive council of the SRC said the demonstration had become necessary to bring an end to what seems to be the neglect on the part of university management.

“The KNUST SRC Executive Council in joint forces with SRC parliamentary Council and all student leaders bring to the notice of all KNUST students that we are embarking on a demonstration today 22nd October 2018. [There will be no lectures]. We have had enough.”

READ ALSO: Brong-Ahafo REGSEC on peace mission to Japekrom and Drobo

The SRC said: “It must be made known to the council that students were manhandled and even in some cases brutalised, acts we find condemnably atrocious.”

Luv FM reporter, Kwesi Debrah on Adom FM‘s Dwaso Nsem Monday said the students are massing up to prevent a petition to the Univerity authorities.

He indicated that the livid students who believe their rights are being infringed upon have vowed not to return to lecturers until their concerns are resolved.

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Authorities of KNUST have denied the claims while calling on students to attend lectures.

They accused some alumni of instigating the students against them.

Daily Guide gathered that the girls have been subjected to ridicule and feel ashamed of their behaviour since many students and teachers on campus hold the MP in high esteem.

On Thursday, October 11, DAILY GUIDE interacted with the students over the conduct the said students.

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Three young girls, all first-year students, though there are challenges in the school, they are focused on their books to secure a better future for themselves.

Asked whether they know some of the girls in the video, they all answered in the affirmative.

“There is one of them in my class. She is very quiet and disciplined, and since the NDC man and his people made the girls to disrespect the President and the MP, she has not been fine again. People have seen the video and she is now feeling shy.”

Another student said: “There are bedbugs, but as for me I keep my corner, my mattress and my bed sheet clean, so they don’t get me like other girls. If we clean our dorm frequently the bedbugs will reduce. I think we are many so some students keep their areas dirty, that is why the bedbugs have been increasing.”

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They admitted that the dormitories are congested, but were hopeful the situation would soon improve with the completion of the Girls’ dormitory by government.

In line with a directive by the Regional Office of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration at the Tempane SHS, Alhaji Issaka Charles Abugri, declined to comment further on the matter.

“The school’s counselling unit is up to task and would offer counselling to the traumatized students.”

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Tempane Constituency, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, who visited the school on that Thursday, said Joshua Akamba of the NDC has done a great disservice to the children and should apologize to their parents, the school and the entire country, for influencing the innocent children negatively.

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“I don’t think the children would have done what they did if they had not been misled and probably compelled by Joshua Akamba to hoot at the president and I. In this area, children are trained to respect the elderly.”

“Anyway, the government is doing a lot to improve infrastructure in the school. Even my own contribution to the school is enough for the children to praise and not hoot at me, as Akamba misled the students to do in that propaganda video,” Mr Kpemka said.

“The situation in the school has normalized and students and teachers are looking forward to the next action to be taken in relation to the headmaster, Dominic Ndegu Amolale, after the Committee’s investigations and report.”

The directive follows a visit by the Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the school last week.

Joshua Akamba is seen in a video inciting some students of the school against government’s free SHS policy.

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He asked the students if they were experiencing issues with bedbugs in their dormitories as a result of congestion which has been occasioned by the free SHS policy, to which they responded in the affirmative.
He made the students show their bedbug bite scars to the cameras, and promised them their challenges would be over in 2020 if they vote out the NPP.

He got the students to hoot at the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

But in a letter sighted by citinewsroom.com, the directorate has asked the headmaster to make available a full report on the incident and hand over the running of the school to the Regional Directorate of Education for superintending over political campaigns in the school without approval.

“You are by this letter requested to submit a full report on the incident to my office for onward submission to the Director General of Education.”

“You are equally directed to hand over the running of the school to the Regional Director of Education pending conclusion of investigations into the incident”, the letter added.

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Read the full content of the letter below

“It has come to the attention of the Ghana Education Service that on Wednesday, 3rd October 2018, your school compound was turned into a political party campaign rally ground without authorization. You are however aware that under no circumstances should premises of any school be made available to any politician campaign purpose.

You are by this letter requested to submit a full report on the incident to my office for onward submission to the Director-General of Education.

You are equally directed to hand over the running of the school to the Regional Director of Education pending conclusion of investigations into the incident.”

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GES warns against political activities in Senior High schools

The Ghana Education Service (GES), which has described the development “inciting students against President Nana Akufo -Addo and the Free SHS programme,” has asked political activists to refrain from campaigning in various secondary schools.

“Management of GES condemns such acts and wishes to bring to the attention of the general public, especially political activists that the Ghana Education Service is a non-political state agency with the key responsibility of implementing pre-tertiary educational policy of the country and wishes to remain as such.”

“Meanwhile, all regional and district directors of Education and Heads of SHS have been directed to ensure that schools and students are not used for political activities without authorization. Management wishes to assure parents and the general public that steps have been taken to ensure that students and school premises are immune from such unwarranted political interference.”

Although GES rules are clearly against political activities in all schools except tertiary institutions, the two main parties often break the rules.

NDC’s Akamba slammed for inciting students against Free SHS

The youth wing of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has since condemned the Deputy NDC National Organizer over the incident.

In a statement, the NPP indicated that the development was a “clear indication of the NDC’s vicious intentions for the free SHS Program.”

READ: Audio: Sammy Awuku slams Akamba for inciting students against Akufo Addo

While calling on the GES to investigate the issue, the party’s youth wing also called for sanctions against authorities who allowed the incident to take place.

Police invite Akamba for inciting SHS students

Meanwhile, police in Garu in the Upper East Region, have invited Joshua Akamba for interrogation, following reports that he incited some students at the Tempane Senior High School against government’s free SHS policy.

Mr. Akamba confirmed this to Citi News in an interview, saying “the Police have asked that I should report at the Garu police station.”

The students were among 40 candidates presented by A-Z Preparatory and Junior High School at Teshie – Okpoi-Gonno in Greater Accra.

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The situation has forced Proprietor of the school, Bishop Godwin Aaron Monyo to appeal for President Akufo-Addo’s immediate intervention.

According to him, though the school presented forty (40) candidates for the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), WAEC released results of only 20, withholding the English Language Paper of 20 others.

“In February 2018, seventeen (17) of the twenty whose English Paper results were cancelled had to re-sit their papers but after the results were released in the month of May/June 2018, WAeC continues to hold their results,” he said.

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The situation, he said, has denied the students admission into second-cycle schools.

The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court in its July 14, 2018 ruling ordered WAEC to release the results of the affected candidates.

It followed a writ filed by parents of the 20 affected candidates.

“On 4th July 2018, the court ruled in favour of the twenty (20) candidates, thereby ordering WAEC to release the results but instead of releasing the results, WAEC in August 2018, went for a stay of execution from another Human Right High Court in Accra,” he noted.

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“On August 14, the Human Rights High Court in Accra in its ruling declined the stay of the execution and ordered WAEC to release the result.”

But WAEC has since failed to release the results, one month after the ruling.

Bishop Monyo wants President Akufo-Addo to intervene to save the future of the affected children.

The Education Ministry has vowed to deal with head teachers who are involved in pseudo placement in various schools following the implantation of government’s double track system.

The policy splits a class into two streams with one starting while the other waits.

So a General Arts class of say 98 students will be divided to have a first batch of 46 students known as the Green Track and the other known as the Gold Track.

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Green Track have begun the academic year while the Gold Track will replace them on November 8, 2018.

The policy has become necessary because government does not have enough infrastructure to accommodate the huge enrollment rates since it implemented its free SHS policy.

The double track is being implemented in at least 400 out of more than 670 public schools.

But there were reports that some head teachers in some schools are engaging in what is termed as pseudo placement and have refused to follow due process.

For instance, some students with the Green Track who are supposed to begin their academic year have been asked to stay home and allow students with the Gold track to begin.

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But speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show “Dwaso Nsem” Wednesday, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Ekow Vincent Assafuah, said the Ministry is fully aware of such issue.

He said his outfit will initiate investigations into such acts and deal with head teachers found culpable.

“We have heard of such issues that some headteachers are involved in pseudo placement in schools and I can assure you that we will investigate and deal with these activities. It’s not healthy. Every student is equal and we want every student to be treated as such” he said.

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He, however, expressed optimism that the system will be beneficial to Ghanaians and not destroy the educational system as the professional naysayers are predicting.

Some male students believed to be residents of Unity Hall (Conti) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been caught on video harassing female students assigned rooms at the hall.

The 2,000-capacity hall was an all-male residence but management of the university recently converted it into a mixed hall, together with University Hall (Katanga), in order to boost the female population on campus.

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In a 30-second video that has gone viral on social media, about a dozen male students were seen chasing and mobbing some female students, as the girls tried escaping from them.

One frightened female student bolted from the scene and another female who tried to free herself after an attempt by one male student to grope her lost her balance and fell flat on the floor.

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The male students, some bare-chested, kept screaming and running after the visibly frightened females.

Meanwhile, some disgruntled members of the public have taken to social media to express their disappointment about the failure of university authorities to ensure the safety of female occupants of the hall.

The Embassy, it is believed, suspects that the organisers of the conference, United Ambassadors, are not genuine.

The students, some of whom were turned away at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and London’s Heathrow Airport, paid a total of $17,750 ($250 each) as delegates fee to United Ambassadors, the supposed facilitators of the conference, and GH¢53,818 (GH¢758 each) as visa fees to the US Embassy.

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One of the students who was scheduled to travel by direct flight from Accra to New York on Delta Airlines bought a ticket at $2,300, while, together with seven others, he spent $2,100 on Airbnb Apartment in New York

Two students who were scheduled to fly out on August 5, 2018 were turned away by Delta Airlines at the check-in counter at the KIA.

A third student who travelled on British Airways on transit through Heathrow Airport in London was also prevented from connecting to New York for the same reason.

Letter revoking visa

Excerpts of an email the students received from the Consular Section of the US Embassy read: “Dear Applicant: You recently appeared at the US Embassy in Accra for a non-immigrant visa because you were attending the Model UN Conference in New York. This message is to alert you that the non-immigrant visa you received is no longer valid. You must not attempt to travel to the US with this visa. You will be denied boarding at the airport or you will be turned away at the US port of entry.

“If you still wish to travel to the US, you are REQUIRED to appear for a second interview at the US Embassy in Accra. At this second interview, you must bring all of your ORIGINAL Model UN Conference documentation that reflects this programme and your participation in it, such as brochures, letters, pamphlets, programs, guidebooks, welcome packets, or any other materials you have. Again, you MUST NOT travel to the US with the visa that you received. Your visa is no longer valid for travel.”

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No comment

Meanwhile, when contacted, a representative of the US Embassy, Ms Zenab Mahama, told the Daily Graphic that the mission “does not discuss details of individuals’ visas”.

But one of the affected students, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, said the US Embassy had been unfair to them.

The student’s story

Going into the details, he said the students had a WhatsApp platform on which one of them sent the link of the conference and asked if the others were interested.

Those who showed interest created accounts on the website of United Ambassadors and applied to attend the conference.

They were then asked to write a motivational letter as to why they wanted to participate in the conference and it was accepted.

The group then applied for visas and eight out of 12 students were issued the visas on July 23, 2018.

MORE: Govt releases full list of 400 schools to operate double-track

Fees paid

Giving further details, one of the students said: “I bought a ticket, got to the airport, tried to check in and the airline staff said the US Embassy says I can’t travel and that we should go to the embassy to find out the reason.

“When we got to the US Embassy, they said they did not know what the problem was and that we should send them a mail, telling them what had happened at the airport.”

According to the student, they were asked to schedule an emergency appointment, and on the day of the interview, they received an email from the embassy, telling them that their visas had been canceled.

The Tamale High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Edward Apenkwah, sentenced the two students, Kwame Dogyi and Obio Akwasi, who are cousins, after the jury had returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of conspiracy to commit crime, to wit murder.

The murdered 64-year Pastor Ebenezer Ocran in cold blood at his residence at Kumbuyii, near Tamale, on the Tamale-Kumbungu road on November 9, 2017.

They took away his Toyota Highlander vehicle, which Dogyi gave to a sprayer at the Tamale Industrial Area to sell at GHS10,000.

The hearing of the case at the High Court began on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, until they were finally sentenced on Monday.

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During the trial, the prosecution called nine witnesses, while the convicts called no witnesses, and at the end of it, all the jury returned a verdict of guilty of conspiracy to commit crime.

Facts

They stabbed him with a knife in the chest and later hit him with a pestle in the head, killing him instantly, and locked the body in a room.

The prosecution said the two cousins, after the act, took away a Samsung Galaxy phone, GHS200 and a Toyota Highlander 4X4 vehicle, with registration number GN 1736-14, all belonging to the deceased.

About 10 p.m. on the same day Ben Asamoah, an assistant pastor of the church, informed the police that he had visited the head pastor and found him dead in his house, while his Toyota Highlander was missing.

The police feigned interest in buying the car, and thorough investigations, Dogyi, a third-year Engineering student of TaTU, was arrested. He mentioned his cousin, Obio also a third-year student of the same university, as his accomplice.