Some deferred students used fees for betting, buying vehicles and bakery – KNUST

The management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has justified the decision to defer 6000 students for delayed payment of their fees.

Public Relations Officer at the KNUST, Dr Norris Bekoe explained that the university has over the years hit by the situation where indebted students leave school after graduating and never come back to pay.

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He attributed this to the refusal of the management to apply the fee policy hence the decision to apply it now.

Dr Bekoe told TV3’s Ibrahim Abubakar that “over the years we have had challenges of students completing University and then going away with our fees partly because we had not applied the fee policy. So this time around the academic board has decided to apply the fee policy.”

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The management of the KNUST on Wednesday announced that 6000 students have been deferred for non-payment of their fees.

In a related story, the management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has explained their decision to ask over 6,000 students to defer their courses.

They stated that some of the affected students are playing games with them.

According to Dr Daniel Norris Bekoe, the University’s Public Relations Officer, some students have invested their fees in ventures such as betting, buying vehicles for online ride-hailing services and bakeries.

“The problem we have now is that a number of students are playing games with the University. For example, they use their school fees to buy cars for Uber, others are using it to set up bakeries, and others are also using it for betting, and we have evidence.”

“Some parents have even sent us audio where students have received the fees but have refused to pay or simply trading with the money.”

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Dr Bekoe said this on Joy FM’s Midday News in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Wednesday.

Authorities of the KNUST had earlier issued a release notifying students who owe more than 70 per cent of school fees by April 7, that they would be deferred automatically. However, the warning did not take effect at the time.

According to sources, students were allowed to take part in the mid-semester exams, which started on April 11.

The students who still had arrears to cover were subsequently made to defer their courses.

However, since news of the issue broke, some Ghanaians have expressed varied opinions.

But Dr Bekoe insisted that the University’s action is in the right direction.

He noted that the issue of students not settling fees has persisted over the years; therefore, the need to “apply the fees policy this year which has been approved by the academic board, and it is required that as an undergraduate student, you must register your courses at the beginning of the semester and pay 70%.”

Meanwhile, he said the University has now “given a window from February through March and April” for students with arrears to pay.

The university received flak from North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who said the decision was harsh.

He pleaded with the Minister of Education to intervene.