Agric Students Fly Red Flag

Promise Tokoli (second from right) addressing the media.With him are students from the institute Photo Seth Osabukle,,

Students from five agricultural colleges in the country have urged government to restore their allowances or they will embark on a series of demonstrations to press home their demand.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, President of Agricultural Colleges Students Union (ACSU), Promise Tokoli Buernartey, complained about the lack of infrastructure and logistics on the various colleges which affected academic performance.

He said the lack of allowances have led to paying their own utility bills and fending for themselves unlike other training institutes whose bills and feeding are catered for by the government.

"We have therefore given government seven days ultimatum to respond to us or else we will demonstrate and picket at the sector ministry," Mr. Buernartey said.

The colleges include the Kwadaso Agricultural College, Ejura Agricultural College, Ohawu Agricultural College, Damango Agricultural College and Pong-Tamale Vertinary College.

The students said government was being unfair to them because allowances of other training institutions had been restored adding that various attempts to meet the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr George Oduro had proved futile.

He described it as discriminatory for other institutions to be restored and theirs not restored.

"Lack of buses and other infrastructure in the colleges aside our allowances is gradually turning the colleges into white elephants," he stated.

Mr. Buernartey said several attempts made to get the hierarchy of the ministry to address the issue have fallen on deaf ears.

He said since their allowances were scrapped in 2015, majority of students had dropped out due to lack of funds to support their tuition.

"Many final year students have dropped out due to lack of funds to cover the overly expensive tuition."

The president of ACSU said attempts to meet the Minister of Food and Agriculture concerning their challenges have proven futile indicating a sign of total neglect by the ministry.

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