The Economic Fighters League (EFL) has accused the University of Ghana of creating an environment that discourages student activism, following a demonstration against increased hostel accommodation fees.
The demonstration, organised by the Concerned Students of the University of Ghana and allied groups, followed a proposed 26 percent increase in hostel fees by the University of Ghana Enterprises Limited (UGEL), which was subsequently revised to between 15 and 19 percent after initial engagements.
Students have rejected the revised charges, particularly the 15 percent increment for standard four-in-a-room accommodation. They are also demanding the abolition of the UGEL hostel management framework, the removal of its management and greater transparency in determining accommodation fees.
In a statement issued on 9 November 2026, the EFL expressed concern over what it described as a broader climate of student repression, weakened organising networks and fear of victimisation by university authorities and the state.
The EFL raised concerns about what it considers an increasingly restrictive environment for student organising.
“Subtle threats, restrictions on student organising, the disruption of established student networks, limitations on hall celebrations and activities, and measures that discourage large student gatherings have weakened the culture of collective action,” it said.
The EFL questioned the basis for increased accommodation charges.
“Students are being asked to pay more without sufficient evidence of corresponding improvements in facilities or meaningful consultation,” the statement said.
The EFL also faulted the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC) and the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana, University of Ghana (GRASAG-UG), over their response to the demonstration, particularly their decision to distance themselves from the protest.
According to the EFL, the two bodies cited the organisers’ registration status and cautioned students about the Public Order Act rather than visibly supporting the demonstration. The group criticised the two bodies’ approach to student representation.
“Student leadership must understand that representation requires more than acknowledging grievances. It requires the courage to stand with students when their rights and interests are at stake,” the statement added.
The EFL further questioned why many students were reluctant to participate openly in demonstrations despite what it described as considerable support for the campaign.
Drawing on its engagement with more than 10,000 students through its platform, the group said support for the protest did not always translate into visible participation.
It attributed this reluctance to fears of possible repercussions from university authorities.
The statement also addressed academic freedom, arguing that students’ freedom to engage in activism should receive the same recognition as lecturers’ academic freedom.
“Academic freedom cannot be reduced to the freedom of lecturers to teach and publish. It must also include the freedom of students to organise, assemble, express dissent, question authority and participate in decisions affecting their university experience without intimidation or retaliation,” it stated.
The EFL also called for scrutiny of the university’s In-Out-Out-Out system, arguing that its implications should be examined beyond administrative considerations to include its effects on student solidarity, participation and freedom of association.
The group urged university authorities to end practices it believes intimidate students and undermine collective action, while calling on student representative bodies to reclaim their responsibility to defend students’ interests.
It further encouraged students across Ghanaian universities to exercise their rights.
“A university without student activism is not a university at its best. It is a university that has silenced one of its most important sources of intellectual and democratic renewal,” the statement concluded.
The Economic Fighters League (Fighters) is a non-partisan political movement made up of people from diverse political, religious and ethnic backgrounds, united in the pursuit of economic freedom for Ghanaians.
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Story by Holy Mavo | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Vanessa Katrin Ohene
