Graduate students warn of action if their bursaries are not paid

The Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) on Tuesday asked the authorities to pay their Thesis and Bursary Grants for 2010/11 academic year by May 8 or face “any action we deem fit”.

A statement issued in Accra said: “We are by this release calling on the government and/or the agency or agencies responsible for the release of funds to act accordingly without any further delay in order to forestall any unpleasant confrontation.”

GRASAG expressed displeasure at the delay in the payment of the Grants by the Scholarship Secretariat.

“Considering the value of research to national development, one would have expected that every effort will be made to facilitate graduate education in Ghana, by making prompt payment of the money.

“Unfortunately, the opposite is true as the monies are paid to students when most of us have finished with our research work, usually under very trying moments.”

GRASAG said all efforts to correct the trend had proved futile.

“In as much as the 2010/2011 academic year comes to a close for most public universities by the end of May when students are supposed to submit their final research work, to date the monies have not been paid.”

The Association said contacts made at the Scholarship Secretariat and other relevant quarters for the release of funds had not yielded the desired results, even though there had been a statement by people in authority that monies had been released for that purpose.

“We wish to state without any reservation that if by Monday, May 8, 2011, the monies are not paid into the accounts of the respective institutions, members will embark on any action we deem appropriate,” the Association said.

Source: GNA