Whiles some student leaders are making strenuous efforts to bring back the lost hope and restore the necessary confidence in student leadership, especially in the affairs of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), others are busily thwarting such statesmanly efforts by their hunky punky and reprehensible actions and inactions which affront the image of the Union, which remains the largest student organization in the country and umbrella body for Ghanaian students.
It is a fact that until very recently, the National Union of Ghana Students had almost lost its relevance and failed in all departments especially in holding the forth for the ordinary Ghanaian students owing to financial indiscipline, legendary levels of partisanship or political party intrusion in its affairs, instances of violence, uncomplimentary media reportages, vendetta, cronyism, pettiness among other shenanigan enterprises which had thrown to the dogs, the union's dignity and pride. We must however be quick to add that, the recent past executives of the union had put in enough efforts towards the redemption of the Union from these abyss' and in fact, have almost brought back the union's lost media glory and confidence. There is no denying the fact that, over the past months or so, NUGS has been in the news for very good and satisfactory reasons to the glory of God and country.
Only when we thought everything was getting cozy and rosy for the union, we chanced upon the final audit report of the immediate past NUGS administration (that is, the 2014/2015 NUGS year) which did not only get us shocked but also discombobulated in view of the incriminating findings made by the auditors in their final report. For instance, on page 5 of the audit report, under the auditors' findings, the then financial controller of the union, Ms. Rejoice Akrashie is reported to have embezzled a whooping amount to the tune of; thirteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty seven cedis, fifty pesewes (GHS 13, 727.50) during and after the emergency congress at the Islamic University without authorization, which therefore amounted to causing financial loss to the Union in the words of the auditors.
Conspicuous among the beneficiaries of this amount according to the audit report is one, Ms. Iris Kwarfo-Mensah, the immediate past women commissioner (WOCOM) of the union, who undeservedly enjoyed five thousand, one hundred and fifty Ghana cedis (GHS 5, 150) of the booty; even though she herself had confirmed that the union never owed her a dime. In the light of this incriminating and incontestable evidence, the auditors have accordingly concluded in their recommendations on page 7 of the Report that all these monies that were wrongly paid by Madam Rejoice Akrashie totalling; (GHS 13, 727.50) be refunded to the union with immediate effect. The financial controller (Rejoice Akrashie) has again been instructed by the audit committee to deposit an amount of GHS 6, 106.36 cash in her hands into the union's bank account.
Per our checks, the FC as we speak, together with her "conspirators" in this create, loot and share enterprise are yet to comply with any of these directives in flagrant disregard of the orders given by the auditors and for that matter a contravention of the NUGS constitution. Interestingly, the union has not been able to settle its huge INDEBTEDNESS especially to one Salomey Nomo, who supplied the NUGS cloths as well as honouring certain legitimate payments to former executive officers of the union by way of their sitting, transport, communications allowances and if you like, ex-gratia among others. The various committee members that also worked for the union in the previous administration were also not paid any service allowance because the union did not have money as they were told. Yet, Rejoice thinks that the best way to spend the union's scarce monetary resource is to share same to her family and friends without shame. Does she know the difficulties students go through in raising money to pay SRCs dues, part of which eventually gets to the union? How callous!
One of the beneficiaries of these inordinate payments, Ms Rhodalyn Eshun, the former press and information secretary of the union quickly returned the GHS 500 doled out to her by Rejoice upon sensing danger and we commend her for that. However, the former WOCOM, Iris Kwarfo is still arrogantly being belligerent and calling the bluff of everybody because she contends that no one can touch her; let alone to compel her to cough out the money she illegitimately took from the union. What impudence!
We the concerned students and friends of NUGS are by this statement, calling on the current NUGS executives (the Paa Quecy led administration), National Executive Committee (NEC) and Central Committee (CC) members to take the necessary steps to retrieve all the union's "stolen monies" from the indicted officers as directed by the auditors. Our call is not premised on any parochial or caucus' interest but rather a call for probity, accountability, justice and financial discipline in the affairs of NUGS and thus, protect the waning image of the union as a prerequisite towards the attainment of the much talked about NUGS RENAISSANCE. These we think, are the essential underpinnings of every disciplined organization and surely, NUGS cannot be an exception. Our constitution is supreme and nobody is above the union. So, we are challenging the NUGS President, His Excellency Paa Quecy-Adu and his executive officers to protect the interest of the members of NUGS, who have been shortchanged by this "alleged thievery" in pursuance to articles 2 and 3 of the NUGS constitution that establish its supremacy and enforcement to the latter.
In the event that no actions is taken within a reasonable timeframe to retrieve "our stolen money", then we shall be compelled to launch a spirited campaign against the payment of NUGS dues by various SRCs in the ensuing years because these SRCs have better use of their money than "waste same" on the union without getting value for money as manifested above. We however have full confidence in the PaaQuecy led administration to do what is RIGHT in order to safeguard the interest of the Union. The time to act is NOW or NEVER. We shall be back.
Thank you.
LONG LIVE NUGS LONG LIVE THE STUDENT STRUGGLE
Signed...
Iddi Muhayu-deen
Leader of the Concerned Students and Friends of NUGS Immediate Past Secretary-NUGS Also, the gentleman of NUGS fame (0245335197)
<<Print>>