The Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has levelled accusations against the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise students in the upcoming December elections.
In a statement released on October 28, the youth group claims that the ongoing UTAG strike, led by Professor Ransford Gyampo, is a political manoeuvre aimed at preventing students from voting.
According to the NPP, Prof. Gyampo is allegedly working in “cahoots” with the NDC to keep thousands of students from campuses where they registered to vote.
The NPP argues that, with the universities closed, students living far from their schools may be discouraged from making the journey back solely to vote.
The statement alleges that the NDC is concerned about the strong student support for NPP’s candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over former president John Dramani Mahama.
“This strike serves only two purposes now: to disturb the academic timetable of students and to stop them from voting on December 7,” the statement from NPP Youth Organizer Salam Mustapha asserts.
Mustapha argues that UTAG’s decision to continue with the strike—despite other labour unions suspending industrial actions related to government responses on illegal mining—indicates that political motivations are at play.
The NPP further contends that Prof. Gyampo, whom they claim is angling for a political appointment in a potential Mahama administration, is using his position to influence UTAG’s actions at the expense of students’ academic futures and voting rights.
The NPP also calls on UTAG members to bring their leadership to order and urges the university authorities to consider recalling students, emphasizing the importance of allowing them to participate in this “historic” election.
