A level 300 student by the name of Latif Lawrence Jorhowie has expressed his concern and grief with regards to the ongoing UTAG strike.
He has written a general letter with the caption, “Do The Students Matter?”
The letter reads:
Dear UTAG,
I’m Latif Lawrence Jorhowie, a level 300 Bachelor of Laws student at the University of Cape Coast. I have come across your recent communique which in summary says you intend to indefinitely withdraw your services by Monday, 10th January 2022.
This you attributed to the government’s failure to address your worsening conditions of service. It’s unfortunate this has to happen again.
Since day one, I’ve been an ardent supporter of your request for a better condition of service though I strongly believe if anything at all, it would be a middle ground concession between you and the government and not a full grant of your request.
I write to you today about us students who find themselves in the middle of this “fight”. It’s often said that when two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. We, the metaphorical grass in this fight have suffered and are suffering!
In August last year, we suffered three weeks of no academic work. When you resumed, those weeks were not made up for. We had to cramp up chunks of complex untaught topics into our heads as the exams covered all topics in the course outline. No one seemed to care about the students who failed courses as a result of the strike.
However, my main concern is about the timing of these strikes. Can’t the strike be done at a time that wouldn’t drastically affect us? What of embarking on the strike long before the school resumption date for the majority of the member institution is due?
I think if the strike is done in that manner, reopening dates for schools would be the only thing to be delayed for the duration the strike would last. In that case, the chunk of students who support their parents or hustle to raise their own fees would continue their hustle and not come and waste their time in school doing nothing except to spend the little they’ve gathered.
Also, it would save countless students like me from travelling all the way from Jeffisi in the Upper West Region to Cape Coast only to come and stay in my hostel and spend up all my money. When we are in our hostels without lectures, we eat a lot, yeah!
My dear lecturers I know we’re the bargaining chip to your request like Professor. Ransford Gyampo said some time back but I think you can still get your request granted while ameliorating the impact on us by going on the strike a few weeks to the resumption of school.
I know you love us and would kindly take this into consideration!
Your student,
Latif Lawrence Jorhowie
University of Cape Coast
0547013452
latif.jorhowie@stu.ucc.edu.gh