The leadership of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been urged to contribute to important discussions in the country.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo emphasized that students are the future leaders and should actively participate in how the nation is governed today.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate expressed his desire to hear NUGS’s opinions on significant matters like illegal mining and the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
He stated, “NUGS should take a leading role in expressing their views on national issues like illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey’, which is widely talked about.”
He also pointed out that the Free SHS policy is a crucial topic, and NUGS needs to share its position so that politicians understand the perspectives of Ghanaian students.
Dr. Prempeh, also known as Napo, spoke at the 57th NUGS Delegates Congress at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
He praised both current and former NUGS leaders for their activism in improving conditions for Ghanaian students, whether in the country or abroad.
“It is NUGS’s main responsibility to hold governments accountable for enhancing the quality of life through education for Ghanaian students, and you are doing a great job,” he remarked.
Napo encouraged NUGS executives to keep advocating for Ghanaian students, reminding them that their voice should be prominent in all significant national discussions.
President of NUGS, Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, said that NUGS’ advocacy efforts have ensured government’s release of stipends to Ghanaian students studying in Ghana and abroad.
“We believe in the use of advocacy and positive engagement, but not the recourse of only demonstrations to seek for what belongs to the Ghanaian student.
“And I’m happy to announce that this has yielded results in getting help to many overseas students, including those in Morocco and the United Kingdom (UK),” he disclosed.
NUGS, he said, has started catfish farming with over 1,000 pieces in its ponds, adding that they are also into maize, cassava and vegetables farming, among other achievements.