The Minority Leader of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin, has expressed concerns over the Mahama administration’s commitment to delivering on its pledge to cover the admission fees for first-year students at public universities.
While addressing the approval of ministerial nominees on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Afenyo-Markin questioned why parents and students were still struggling to pay these fees when the government had promised to bear the costs.
He specifically referred to the response from Education Minister-designate, Haruna Iddrisu, who stated that students who had already paid their admission fees would be reimbursed later in the year.
“This begs the question,” Afenyo-Markin asked, “why did the government not instruct universities to waive these fees in the first place, knowing that it would cover the costs in the coming months?” He expressed confusion over why students had been required to pay when a promise had been made to absorb the fees.
He went on to highlight the financial difficulties faced by many students and their families, explaining that not all students or parents can afford to pay the fees upfront. “Mr. Speaker, my concern with the Education Minister nominee is that not all students or parents can raise the admission fees.”
“I had hoped that the government’s policy of paying the fees for first-year students would have been implemented so that students could take advantage of it,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin emphasised that the government could have easily instructed universities to hold off on collecting the fees, considering it had committed to covering the costs.
He called on the government to expedite the process and ensure that students are not disadvantaged by financial constraints, urging them to live up to their promises.
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