Concerned Ghanaian Students has addressed the hardship or the financial crisis the country is going through to the President of Ghana.
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The concerned Ghanaian Students have called the President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu Addo to do something about the economic hardship innocent people of Ghana are facing.
According to them, Cost of living is at an all-time high, making the ordinary Ghanaian unable to afford, even a single meal a day (worsened by the high rate of unemployment in the country).
They processed that, Ghanaian businesses are collapsing as businessmen and women are becoming even poorer due to the devaluation of their businesses occasioned by the free fall of the cedi, high cost of living, multiple and or extreme taxation as well as skyrocketing fuel price.
They also made mention of how the trade unions and civil society organizations are all going on strike. The incessant industrial actions by UTAG and other teacher unions in the country gets them scared as students whether schools will not gradually be closed down and students asked to go home.
The economic situation of the country gets them even more scared as students that school fees (both academic and residential/hostel fees) will shoot up in subsequent academic years. Let us not forget a lot of students take care of themselves in school and allowing things to continue like this we could only be said to be simply sacking such students from school.
They addressed how a lot of Ghanaians, especially, the youth have voluntarily abandoned their jobs and this can be largely attributed to the missile-speed, continuous and exponential increase in transport fares (due to constant increase in fuel prices whilst they maintain the same wage/salary).
Statement Below:
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
Your Excellency, in the wake of the surging economic crisis our country is faced with, we, the Coalition of Concerned Ghana Students write to add our voice to the many civil society organizations and the other teaming numbers of Ghanaians affected by the deadening economic situation in the country. The cedi broke the “8” few weeks ago, and just last week, broke the “12” and seemingly, would break the “16” by end of November considering the fact that inflation rate is already above 40%; a dollar is already above 14 cedis. The Nigerian Naira which traded at 78 naira to 1 cedi in 2019 now trades at 38 Naira to 1 cedi. This incessant depreciation of the Cedi against the US dollar has had dire effects on the Ghanaian economy and the ordinary Ghanaian for that matter.
1. Cost of living is at an all-time high, making the ordinary Ghanaian unable to afford, even a single meal a day (worsened by the high rate of unemployment in the country).
2. Ghanaian businesses are collapsing as businessmen and women are becoming even poorer due to the devaluation of their businesses occasioned by the free fall of the cedi, high cost of living, multiple and or extreme taxation as well as skyrocketing fuel prices.
3. Trade unions and civil society organizations are all going on strike. The incessant industrial actions by UTAG and other teacher unions in the country gets us scared as students whether schools will not gradually be closed down and students asked to go home.
The economic situation of the country gets us even more scared as students that school fees (both academic and residential/hostel fees) will shoot up in subsequent academic years. Let us not forget a lot of students take care of themselves in school and allowing things to continue like this we could only be said to be simply sacking such students from
school.
4. A lot of Ghanaians, especially, the youth have voluntarily abandoned their jobs and this
can be largely attributed to the missile-speed, continuous and exponential increase in transport fares (due to constant increase in fuel prices whilst they maintain the same wage/salary).
5. Ghanaians, due to high cost of living, are becoming highly indebted just as Ghana herself
6. Increasing rate of crime and suicide, etc.
As concerned citizens, students and for that matter, key stakeholders of the economy of this country, we the coalition of concerned students wish to herewith call on the government of the republic of Ghana; President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his team to reset its priorities right, try to empathize and listen to the public views and to take stringent measures such as will help to internally survive, revitalize and strengthen the economy including drastically cutting down on government expenditure, reducing – in fact halving the size of government, checking and banning the importation of items that could be locally produced as well as the appetite and use of all foreign currencies in the country. This we believe will bring enormous relief and will put a halt to the exacerbating economic conditions and aggravating hardships whilst then we try to fasten negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but only as an alternative measure and not to put all our hope on an external support source like the IMF since it could fail us.
We hope our good-will letter meets your kindest consideration and the necessary actions taken to revitalize the economy, alleviate sufferings and restore hope to the students and citizenry of this country.
Thank you.
Yours concerned students. Signed:
Joel Atiewin Kusaah, UG Secretary
