Extend ‘no fees stress’ policy to students in private universities - Prof. Amuzu to govt
The Principal of the Akim State University College, Prof. Dominic S.Y. Amuzu, has urged the government to extend the “no fees stress” policy to Ghanaian students in private universities to reduce the financial burden on their parents, as is being done for their counterparts in public universities.
He has called on the government to support private tertiary institutions in the country with the needed financial and logistical resources to enable them to contribute effectively to the national development agenda.
Prof. Amuzu said this at the third joint matriculation for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 batches of students and the fifth congregation of the college at Akyem Asene near Oda in the Eastern Region.
The ceremony graduated 129 students, comprising 68 from the 2024 year group and 61 from the 2025 year group, who were awarded B.Sc. degrees in accounting, marketing, human resource management, banking and finance, electrical and electronic engineering, computer science and computer engineering. Of the graduating class, 18 students obtained first-class honours.
A total of 174 fresh students were also formally admitted to the institution.
Prof. Amuzu stressed that the students’ outstanding performance was a reflection of the competence, dedication, well-qualified and motivated lecturers who handled the various courses in all the programmes offered, as well as the committed members of staff, the KNUST moderators and external examiners.
He emphasised that since the inception of the institution, none of the students had ever gone out with a class lower than second class lower division, hence many of them had found themselves in both local and foreign universities pursuing different programmes for the award of a Master’s degree.
Scholarships
He further appealed to the Scholarships Secretariat and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to prioritise students from newer private universities when awarding scholarships, to boost enrolment in those institutions.
He called on corporate institutions, philanthropists, Members of Parliament from the area, the Birim Central Municipal and Asene-Manso-Akroso District assemblies, as well as neighbouring assemblies, to support the college in empowering its students to become drivers and leaders of the country’s sustainable future development.
The Deputy Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Dr Cecilia Enyaa Agbeh, who deputised for Prof. K.T. Oduro, Technical Advisor of the Education Minister, as guest speaker, praised the board, management and staff of the college for striving to make the institution one of the best in the country.
She advised the graduates, continuing and the fresh students to be disciplined, courteous and assiduous in all their endeavours.
The Akyem Swedru Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Daniel Mintah Amoah, who deputised for the Eastern Regional Minister, said the government had so far released GH¢135 million this year for the “no fees stress” policy to cater for the fees of first-year tertiary students.
He advised the students to comport themselves, be disciplined and study hard to become responsible future leaders.
Michael Asirifi was adjudged the overall best graduating student for the 2024 group, while Solomon Nkansah emerged as the overall best graduating student for the 2025 group.
