[dropcap]S[/dropcap]tudents of Dambai College of Education in the Volta Region are crying out loud for what they describe as payment of outrageous fees without having access to those services in the college.
Following Awake Investigates’ story on a petition that was filed by some tutors of the College in 2015, scores of students from the college who spoke to Awake Investigates on condition of anonymity, said, they are still being subjected to payment of those same fees stated in the petition two years ago but do not benefit from the services.
[ads1]Awake Investigates obtained copies of 2016 and 2017 student bills. On the bill, each student of the College with an average population of Six Hundred (600) students per year, from 2016 paid an internet subscription (GH¢65.00); Utility bill GH¢37.00 and Utility Arrears GH37.00.
According to the students, they are made to pay for utility yet the college’s Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is the one responsible for their water needs from the SRC coffers.
‘We are paying for utility, but is our SRC that provides us water when we need it. We have raised several concerns, but the principal will not heed to our cry’ – one of the students said.
The students also accused the principal of running the college like a ‘private school’.
‘We are really suffering. As it stands now, Dambai College of Education is being run like a private school. The principal takes any decision and that ends it. Look, we pay for internet subscription fee every year, but none of my colleague students know the password’ – another student said
The worried students are appealing to the Ministry of Education, National Council for Tertiary Education and other bodies to intervene.
Meanwhile, our efforts to speak to the College Principal Mr. Issahaku on the students’ allegations proved futile.
Since 2015, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has been investigating a petition brought before it for alleged financial malfeasance, abuse of office, charging of unauthorised fees, among other allegations, by the principal of the Dambai College of Education, Mr. Musah Yamba Issahaku.
However, in a follow-up interview with Awake Investigates, Mr. Issahaku denied the allegations, adding that since the matter is before CHRAJ, he would not make further comments on the petition.
In an interview with Awake Investigates, the officer-in-charge of the case at the CHRAJ, Mr. John confirmed that the Commission is indeed investigating the matters in the petition.
