Students give gov’t seven-day ultimatum over loans

The members of the Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) chapter of the University of Cape Coast have given the government seven-day ultimatum to pay them their students loans or face their wrath.

According to some of the students, they will resort to demonstrations to press home their demands if the government fails to meet the deadline.

“We will demonstrate against the government if we don’t see anything after seven days or even use the law court to press home our demands” a student added.

Speaking to Citi News at a press conference organized by the TEIN chapter at the  University of Cape Coast, the President of the group Crispin Weinaa indicated that as students struggle without the loan.

“The student loan is not a grant, students will pay it back after completing their undergraduate studies so I don’t see the need for the delay. It has now become a norm that students are not given the loan at a time they need it and as we speak now the semester is over and students have not received their loans and yet students are expected to pay back the loans they could not use for the semester,” he added.

According to the TEIN president, the Student Loan Trust Fund often delays in the payment of the loans.

“That has been their tactics of keeping students from agitating” he added.

The TEIN president claims reports indicate that monies earmarked by SSNIT to pay students loan have been diverted into different projects.

Some aggrieved students who have not yet received their loans said it is hard for them to pay rent and buy handouts.