Statement: Ghanaian students in China on tenterhooks

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is calling on government to immediately intervene in challenges facing Ghanaian students studying in China.

The Union is disturbed by the recurring delay in the payment of bursaries and grants to Ghanaian students studying in abroad specifically China, which often leave some of them in a state of hopelessness.

“We demand an immediate look into the plight of our China-based counterparts and a payment of amounts due them without any further delay and inconvenience to their studentship outside Ghana.”

Below is the full statement

The leadership of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on behalf of Ghanaian students Abroad wishes to draw the attention of the government to the delay in the payment of bursaries and grants to Ghanaian students studying in abroad specifically China and to demand an immediate cease to the undue delays that characterizes such payments to our counterparts studying outside the country in general.

It has become almost an annual affair, that some form of agitation is required before such payments, which will be made anyway, are paid. It smacks of the elements of unnecessary bureaucracy that characterizes the affairs of government and we think this is most unfortunate and backwards.

News of Ghanaian students starving and despaired in one country or the other comes to NUGS with shock, always and as a NUGS administration, we will not relent in taking to whatever level our collective resolve to solve with finality this perennial issue, with particular reference to the GETFund.

Our predecessors have submitted uncountable petitions and proposals on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and its lackadaisical administration over the period, without a functioning board.

NUGS is marching forward ; we are prepared to carry forward the fight to see to it that the consistent demands of students will no longer be taken for granted or dismissed as ‘business as usual’.

We demand an immediate look into the plight of our China-based counterparts and a payment of amounts due them without any further delay and inconvenience to their studentship outside Ghana.

It is the expectation of the National Union of Ghana students that other students studying in other parts of the world will have their scholarships and grants released on time as well.

We are ready to engage in any discourse and commitment that will facilitate the above without further delay.

Michael Paa-Quecy Adu

National President