In a compelling message, speaker of the University of Ghana Parliament House (UGPH), Rt. Hon. Justice Alor, has called upon student leaders to resist the influence of their political parties in decisions involving the needs of their constituencies.
The advice was given during a discussion on the intersection of student and national politics, in an interview on Campus Exclusive on Radio Univers.
Rt. Hon. Alor emphasized the importance of maintaining independence and focus within student leadership roles, urging leaders to advocate for the concerns of their fellow students, citing a specific incident as an example.
“We were in this country when the NPP wanted to pass the E-levy. The NUGS president at the time said that Ghanaian students were actually in support of the implementation of the E-levy, and we saw how Ghanaian students revolted.”
“The NUGS’ general secretary at the time issued a letter, saying, ‘This is not the position of Ghanaian students; it is the position of the NUGS president because he is perceived to be in bed with the government and was doing the bidding of the government.’ At one point, you see student leaders who should be fighting for the concerns of students, because of their political affiliations, end up doing the bidding of their political parties.”
He highlighted the distinctions between student and national politics, asserting that while they are interconnected, student politics functions as a unique subset within the broader context of national governance.
“Student politics is actually a microcosm of national politics. It is a subset of national politics; student politics emerges from national politics. In student politics, advocacy is mainly confined to the school. Therefore, at the University of Ghana, when the SRC advocates for the welfare of students, it advocates solely for the welfare of the University of Ghana students; thus, its scope is limited.”
“When you are a leader of a JCR or your department, you advocate for the people in your jurisdiction, as compared to national politics where it involves everyone: students, market women, drivers, architects, government workers, civil servants – everyone is involved.”
Justice Alor also encouraged students to be deliberate about their personal growth. He additionally extended an invitation towards the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the University of Ghana Parliament House while also calling for support from interested volunteers.
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Story by: Abdul Razak Wahab | univers.ug.edu.gh
