The Greater Accra Regional Deputy Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Amos Blessing Amorse has said, President Akufo-Addo has scammed law students in the 2021 Budget read in parliament yesterday.
The outspoken youth leader in a Facebook post sighted by Awake News said: “Well, less than a year after predicting this at Commonwealth Hall auditorium where their motto – Truth Stands, is boldly written, Akufo Addo’s scam has been introduced so early. To be exact, Akufo Addo has scammed law students who believed he genuinely had plans to either maintain the 2020 number or increase intake.”
According to him, “At paragraph 1055 of the 2021 budget read by Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Akufo Addo government has decided to reduce intake into the GSL from the over 1000 students admitted in 2020 to 550. Yes 550!”
“How those who sat down to think that only 550 students will pass entrance exams into the law school this year still remains a puzzle. An exam that the questions are maybe yet to be set, some people sitting somewhere already know the total number of students who will pass. Incredible! This can only happen in Ghana. This only happens when a President and his Cabinet have no foresight. If the argument is that, the school has space for only 550 students, hence the statement in the budget, why then should the school be allowed to extort money from over 2000 students in the name of admission forms sold at cutthroat price of about GHC500?” – He added
For him, “The difference between John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress and Akufo Addo-led New Patriotic Party in the 2020 elections was clear-cut. While John Mahama and his Running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang had elaborate plans in their 2020 manifesto that would have led to increased intake into the Ghana School of law for the professional law course, Akufo Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had no plans for LLB and potential LLB holders.”
“To avert the political tsunami Mr Mahama’s promise to law students posed to his reelection bid, Akufo Addo extended his usual manipulative and controlling hands to the GSL. Miraculously, the School in 2020 said over 1000 students passed their draconian intended entrance exams. An exam that the school consistently humiliated LLB holders by deliberately failing them in huge numbers. Many people wondered how students who supposedly failed the same exams in droves were able to pass it only in an election year?” – He said
Read his full statement:
The difference between John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress and Akufo Addo-led New Patriotic Party in the 2020 elections was clear-cut. While John Mahama and his Running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang had elaborate plans in their 2020 manifesto that would have led to increased intake into the Ghana School of law for the professional law course, Akufo Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had no plans for LLB and potential LLB holders.
To avert the political tsunami Mr Mahama’s promise to law students posed to his reelection bid, Akufo Addo extended his usual manipulative and controlling hands to the GSL. Miraculously, the School in 2020 said over 1000 students passed their draconian intended entrance exams. An exams that the school consistently humiliated LLB holders by deliberately failing them in huge numbers. Many people wondered how students who supposedly failed the same exams in droves were able to pass it only in election year?
I recall advising some law students during the 2020 campaign when I was privileged to MC Mr Mahama’s interaction with students on Legon Campus, that they should not be swayed by the huge intake in 2020 – that it was a political gimmick that would be exposed in the unlikely event Akufo Addo won the election. I made the point that after the election, the intake will return to its former state where students will be humiliated again as having failed entrance if they mistakingly vote for Akufo Addo. Admittedly, a number of people who have followed Akufo Addo’s dishonest, deceptive and manipulated style of politics shared the same opinion that the increase in the numbers to the GSL was a political parody to achieve a self-stimulating goal.
Well, less than a year after predicting this at Commonwealth Hall auditorium where their motto – Truth Stands, is boldly written, Akufo-Addo’s scam has been introduced so early. To be exact, Akufo-Addo has scammed law students who believed he genuinely had plans to either maintain the 2020 number or increase intake. At paragraph 1055 of the 2021 budget read by Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Akufo-Addo government has decided to reduce intake into the GSL from the over 1000 students admitted in 2020 to 550. Yes 550!
How those who sat down to think that only 550 students will pass entrance exams into the law school this year still remains a puzzle. An exam that the questions are maybe yet to be set, some people sitting somewhere already know the total number of students who will pass. Incredible! This can only happen in Ghana. This only happens when a President and his Cabinet have no foresight. If the argument is that, the school has space for only 550 students, hence the statement in the budget, why then should the school be allowed to extort money from over 2000 students in the name of admission forms sold at a cutthroat price of about GHC500?
Mr Mahama, noted for his infrastructure records and investment in the education sector, had self-explanatory plans for law students. He had plans to expand infrastructure in existing public law faculties and establish a new law faculty up North to serve our colleagues from that enclave. Additionally, he had plans to extend help to private institutions offering law courses and possibly consider suggestions that law faculties should be licensed to run the professional law course. Beyond this, Mr Mahama made an audacious promise to collaborate with stakeholders to abolish the opaque and obnoxious entrance exams. For Mr Mahama, abolishing entrance exams should not be a problem if indeed the reason for limiting access was principally about infrastructure.
As it stands now, Jean Mensah and Anim Yeboah-led seven-member panel ‘selected’ President, Akufo Addo, has beautifully swindled our brothers and sisters. Those who will sit for the entrance exams this year should know that the school has space for only 550 students so whatever they will do to admit only 550 students they will do it. The sad aspect is that those who this ‘policy’ affects directly will not get to know this is how far Akufo Addo has scammed them simply because they will not read the budget. This is where we find ourselves.
Amorse Blessing Amos
Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth organizer-NDC
citizenkorsi@gmail.com