Neglect of students abroad is a betrayal to the nation – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has slammed the Akufo Addo administration for failing to meet its financial commitments to Ghanaian students studying abroad on government scholarships, describing the situation as a “national humiliation.”

In a statement dated September 19, 2024, Dr. Apaak, outlined the struggles of these students, many of whom are at risk of being expelled from top universities due to unpaid fees and stipends. “It is unacceptable that the government, having promised to support these students, has left them in such a vulnerable and desperate state,” he remarked.

According to the statement, 927 students pursuing postgraduate studies, including 142 PhD candidates, are in dire straits, with £17.6 million in unpaid tuition fees. Some students, especially those enrolled in PhD programs since September 2021, have not received stipends for 27 months. “The delay in the payment of tuition fees has caused several students to be withdrawn from their courses of offer, while others face potential deportation,” the statement noted.

The financial neglect has forced some students into desperate circumstances, with reports of male students resorting to selling sperm and female students being compelled into exploitative relationships to survive. Dr. Apaak condemned these situations, stating, “No Ghanaian student should ever be subjected to such indignities.”

“The government must be reminded that the neglect of these students is not just a betrayal of individual students but a betrayal of the nation as a whole,” Dr. Apaak emphasized.

Source: Starrfm.com.gh