NEC HAS FINALLY DECIDED, HOHOE IS THE VENUE FOR THE 2016 NUGS CONGRESS…

Iddi Muhayu-Deen Writes….

After several weeks of uncertainty regarding the venue for the 2016 NUGS congress following the Akatsi disappointment, it is now very gratifying to note that a FINAL DECISION has been arrived at and congress would be held at the St. Francis College of Education in Hohoe. I do not want to take you through a trip down memory lane because I am not sure you are oblivious of these details but let me give you the latest development. 

After the aspirants and other stakeholders served strong notice of their resolve to boycotting the then “dual congress” because no one wanted a division in NUGS, NEC was charged with the responsibility to SETTLE on ONE VENUE and communicate same. Mind you, everybody knew that this decision by NEC was NOT going to be UNANIMOUS but one of SIMPLE MAJORITY which is also in tandem with democratic principles. If we were to wait for all the NEC members to agree on a particular venue before we hold congress, then we may as well forget it or think of holding congress in 2090 because that is NOT possible. 

When NEC initially voted, there were issues with the elections because the president voted twice, which was a defilement of the NUGS constitution and democratic principle. A lot of people, including myself, were OUTRAGED by the president’s action and fortunately, our position has since been vindicated by the Judicial Board. I doff my hat for our law lords for upholding the truth under the circumstances even though I had initially cast doubt in their ability to do justice to the issue. Consequent to this, NEC had to meet again and vote. 

At the end of the poll, 6 out of the 11 NEC members voted for Hohoe (which was one of the venues approved by CC). They include, the NUGS President (0242548796), Treasurer (0545146635), GUPS President (0248636829), TTAG President (0543692766), RSRC Rep (0264347528) and NAHSAG President (0274338638). I called each and every one of them and they confirmed their vote. You can also call them if you doubt me. 4 out of the 11 NEC members voted for Ideal College (which was NOT part of the venues approved by CC anyway). They include the Coordinating Secretary, Press and Info Secretary, “General Secretary” and the USAG President. So it was a 6 – 4 decision in favour of Hohoe. 

The remaining NEC member, who happens to be the GRASAG President chose NOT to vote for either venue and rather suggested to NUGS to consider a third venue, which he describes as neutral ground in his latest statement. Well, that’s the beauty of democracy; you can choose to vote or not to vote and he chose the latter. We all know that neither CC nor NEC is mandated is take his suggestion no matter the plausibleness of same. Likewise the USAG President or any of the NEC members for that matter. In any case, it is practically impossible for everybody to agree on one thing and that is why, we always go for the MAJORITY VIEW. No individual or bloc can dictate to NUGS where to hold its congress; just as NUGS cannot do same to these blocs.

So from the foregoing, there is no NUGS congress at any Ideal College and my checks have also confirmed that. The 50^th NUGS Congress shall be held in HOHOE and this is OFFICIAL, SIGNED and SEALED. I do not expect any discerning SRC/LNUGS executives to waste their resources and travel to any ‘Ideal thing’. In the same vain, I do not expect any RESPONSIBLE NUGS ASPIRANT, who has GENUINELY campaigned to serve this Union to waste his/her time with any ‘Ideal thing’. There is going to be ONLY ONE CONGRESS and that will be at Hohoe, where the VETTING RESULTS would be declared and elections, conducted. 

Finally, I wish to appeal to the NUGS President and the rest of his executives to consider reducing the amount payable as capitation per head, because some two days have already been cutout from the initial number of days to be spent at the congress. I wish NUGS a successful 50^th Congress and pray that delegates elect VERY COMPETENT LEADERS to man the affairs of the Union, which has rather regrettably, gone through several adversities in its Golden Jubilee Year. Let’s meet in Hohoe tomorrow to climax this important milestone in the history of our beloved Union. Long live NUGS! Long live student activism! Aluta Continua…..

Assalamu alaikum

This piece was compiled by a concerned Ghanaian in the business of OCCUPYING HEARTS and MINDS for the love of God and country.

IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN

Youth Activist/Student Activist

Former NUGS Secretary

(0245335197)