Obed Amenyo Kweku
Episode One
Students’ activism has existed as almost as the University itself and its existence has caused many developmental changes in the governmental and political arena.
The first recorded American student activism was reported in 1963, where Harvard students protested because of the president’s use of brute force and wife’s bad cooking.
Students activism has brought invaluable socio, economic and political development in many countries including Ghana.
[ads1]In students activism, student activists challenge the government to charter a path that will take effect to the benefit of the masses.
Students stand in movements to fight against pertinent issues that affect their welfare on campus ranging from exorbitant school fees, payment modalities feeding, and examination among a host of others. In the quest of curbing some of these opposed issues on students, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) was formed to give students a national platform for a single voice. This was eventually followed by other blocs under NUGS such as University Students Association Of Ghana (USAG), Private University Students Association of Ghana, (PUSAG), Ghana Union Of Professional Students (GUPS), National Health Students Association Of Ghana (NAHSAG), University Nursing Students Association Of Ghana (UNSAG) and others who stand to protest against uncalled-for policies that seems to circumscribe them of their entitlements.
A renowned student activist in his ages, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (of the blessed memory) whose activism in the West African Students Union (WASU) prepared him to lead our country to gain independence and eventually became the first President of the Republic of Ghana. His contributions towards national development is undoubtedly one of the most powerful forms of students activism.
Unfortunately, as a nation, we are slow to realize the potentials of students activism in training and recruiting our future leaders.
Sixty years after independence, it can hardly be said that the students’ movement in Ghana is capable of providing the necessary leadership skills. In spite of the monumental achievements of the students, the struggle which was set ablaze and handed down to successive generations of Ghanaian student leaders began running out of steam when the nation’s political systems started influencing students activism.
The political game that has metastasized into the student leadership is a slow poison that is killing the nation bit by bit. And this propelled me to talk about the STUDENTS’ ACTIVISM AND THE NATIONAL POLITICS IN EPISODE TWO.
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About the author:
AMENYO OBED KWEKU IS THE SRC PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES-HO CAMPUS
2017/2018 ACADEMIC YEAR
0200118474/0555741792
Obedia233@gmail.com