The students in a number of Agric Colleges deserted their classrooms earlier in October in protest of the failure by government to restore their allowances.

[contextly_sidebar id=”roDB06FPZOfwqAVAM3RFpAJWof2j6qvF”]Prior to that, they had besieged the premises of the Agric Ministry in Accra over their grievances.

The Ministry of Agriculture had announced that, it had tabled the request from the students for the restoration of the allowances before Cabinet.

However, since Cabinet convened, there have been no updates of a possible restoration of the allowances, forcing the students to ditch their classes in an attempt to force the government to act.

Speaking to Citi News, the National President of the Agriculture College Students Union, Sampson Chimbur Sananka, stated that despite attempts to get their concerns addressed, culminating in the boycott of classes, the Agric Ministry had turned a blind eye to them.

“It’s been three weeks [since the boycott] and we’re going into the fourth week, but they seem not to mind. We are waiting to see what will happen. I’ve sent them letters that the students have locked the campus, and have told them the situation, and the students’ concerns. But they seem not to know that something is going on,” he said.

The President of the Kwadaso Agric College’s Students Representative Council (SRC), Stanley Mensah, stated at the time of the boycott that, the action had become necessary because of the apparent disregard for Agric students across the country by the government.

He insisted that, despite the negative implications of their boycott, they were justified in their demands, as unlike the nurses and teachers, they weren’t guaranteed jobs and needed the allowances to survive.

“We think that either somebody is not being fair or something is wrong somewhere. That is why we believe that all the students have to come together, leave the premises of the school until the Ministry is done with the processes to get our allowances for us. We are not being treated fairly, and are not being regarded in the country, so there’s no need for us to be on campus. We took our books and our items, and vacated the premises of the school. As we speak, if you go to Damongo, Kwadaso or any college in Tamale, the schools are virtually empty and nobody’s there,” he told Citi News.

Sampson Chimbur Sananka backed this argument, stating that the lack of response from the government indicated an apparent disregard for Agric students in the country.

“The students continue to stay at home. It means that what the students are crying for is something that has been ignored for a very long time. We’re all not happy about the silence of the Ministry so far,” he lamented.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Ministry of Agriculture had announced earlier in October, that it had tabled the requests from the students for the restoration of their allowances before Cabinet.

[contextly_sidebar id=”kYXuwm1nmKrPv73WBsqACCAH7j60Zsmn”]That announcement was made following agitations from students of five of the colleges, who besieged the premises of the Agric Ministry in Accra last Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of their allowances.

However, since Cabinet convened last Thursday, there has been no updates of a possible restoration of the allowances, forcing the students to ditch their classes in an attempt to force the government to act.

Citi News checks at the school revealed that, red bands had been tied at the dormitories and lecture halls, a traditional sign of protest.

The President of the school’s Students Representative Council (SRC), Stanley Mensah, stated that, the action had become necessary because of the apparent disregard for Agric students across the country by the government.

In an interview with Citi News, he insisted that despite the negative implications their boycott will create, they were justified in their demands, as unlike the nurses and teachers, they weren’t guaranteed jobs and needed the allowances to survive.

“We think that either somebody is not being fair or something is wrong somewhere. That is why we believe that all the students have to come together, leave the premises of the school until the Ministry is done with the processes to get our allowances for us. We are not being treated fairly, and are not being regarded in the country, so there’s no need for us to be on campus. We took our books and our things and vacated the premises of the school. As we speak, if you go to Damongo, Kwadaso or any college in Tamale, the schools are virtually empty and nobody’s there,” he said.

“Nobody will say that if you do this, it won’t affect anyone because it will. We’ve left the time for learning and we’re concentrating on the [allowances]. We are not getting direct employment like the teachers and the nurses. We feel that we’ve been neglected and devastated, and nobody’s speaking on our behalf. Management of the school don’t do anything to help us because they feel they are public servants and how can they talk about allowances when they receive their pay. They aren’t ready to do anything for us.”

4, 000 graduates to be employed

The Agric Minister, Owusu Afriyie Akoto, addressed the crowd that had besieged the Ministry, stating at the time that “cabinet has its own procedure for considering such demands, and I can assure you that your demand is seriously being considered.”

In an interview on Eyewitness News later that day, the Minister’s Press Secretary, Issah Alhassan, stated that, they had been cleared by Parliament to employ over 4, 000 graduates from the colleges who had been without jobs since 2011.

“For the past six years, no student from the Agric College has ever been employed into the public service. Now the Minister has told them emphatically that cabinet has agreed that from next year, almost 4, 000 students would be automatically employed into the public service,” he said.

The complaints of the Agric students were sparked by the restoration of allowances of trainee nurses by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

The students, whose allowances were scrapped along with the nursing trainees under the Mahama administration, argue that they are being discriminated against by the government despite the assurances.

The President of the Agricultural College Students Union, Chimbu Sampson Sanika, said: “We are not satisfied with that information. We want our allowances restored so that we can go through our tenures successfully.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to them, several pleas to the Ministry have fallen on deaf ears hence the picketing.

Some of the students told Citi News that they won’t hold back until they have an assurance from the Ministry.

“We are here over the issue of our allowances because the Ministry has kept quiet for a long. Government has released the allowances of teacher and nursing trainees, but we have been neglected. Our population is less than 3,000, but that of the teachers and nurses are over 58,000, yet government has refused to release our allowances.  This is the second time we have been here,” one of the students lamented.

This comes on the back of the restoration of allowances of trainee nurses by the New Patriotic Party government.

Allowances of the agric students were scrapped together with that of trainee nurses and teacher trainees by the Mahama government.

President Akufo-Addo has also promised to restore the allowances of teacher trainees.

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By: Anass Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Addressing a news conference in Accra, the President of the Agriculture College Students Union, Sampson Chimbur Sanika, complained about how the various institutions lacked infrastructure and logistics which affects not only students, but also teachers in the institutions, a situation that generally affects the performance of students.

He noted that, the purpose for the establishment of the colleges was to train extension officers and certified veterinary officers who would convey new and improved methods of agriculture to the country’s farmers, in order for the agric sector, to see a steady growth and development.

He however said this objective has not been achieved as thousands of graduates from the agric colleges remain unemployed by government for that purpose.

According to him, agriculture employs nearly 60% of the Ghanaian population, which is crucial not only for job and wealth creation, but also food security.

Mr. Chimbur Sanika also appealed to government to restore their cancelled allowance because students depend heavily on the allowance to support themselves.

According to him, the allowance was cancelled by the previous government in order to expand infrastructure to admit more students into the institutions, but since the current government has restored teacher and nursing trainees’ allowances, they also deserve that benefit.

The Union however threatened to picket at the Ministry of Agriculture should the government refuse to heed their calls.

There are five state Agriculture colleges in the country, which admit almost 3,000 people yearly.

The colleges which run a three-year certificate course in general agriculture, are the Kwadaso College of Agriculture in the Ashanti Region, Damango Agriculture College in the Northern Region, Ohawu in the Volta Region, Ejura in the Ashanti Region and Animal Health and Production for veterinary officers in the Northern Region.
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By: Gifty Tracy Aminu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Serb, 27, came through 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 to win his second Wimbledon and seventh Grand Slam title.

After letting a championship point slip in the fourth set, he won Wimbledon’s first five-set final since 2009.

Djokovic had lost his previous three major finals, and will now reclaim the number one ranking from Rafael Nadal.

“After losing the fourth set it wasn’t easy to go on and win the fifth set, I don’t know how I did it,” Djokovic told BBC Sport.

“This is the best tournament in the world and the one I always wanted to win so to be able to compete at such a high level I am so grateful.”

Federer, 32, had hoped to surpass Pete Sampras with an eighth title and become the oldest winner in modern times.

The Swiss was willed on by much of the 15,000-strong crowd throughout the final, with chants of “Roger! Roger!” ringing around Centre Court when he reeled off five successive games from 5-2 down in the fourth set.

But Djokovic recovered his nerve to fend off break points in the decider and clinch a dramatic win after three hours and 56 minutes, before kneeling on the turf and eating some grass – just as he had done after winning in 2011.

He then headed into the stands to celebrate with his team, including three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, brought in by Djokovic at the start of the year to help end his run of 18 months without a major win

With seven Grand Slam titles to his name now, Djokovic moves alongside the likes of John McEnroe and Mats Wilander – 10 behind Federer at the top of the all-time list.

Federer, with Becker’s old foe Stefan Edberg in his corner, had served superbly throughout the tournament and it almost brought him an eighth title.

The Swiss took a desperately tight first set on the tie-break after saving two set points but, after a heavy tumble early in the second, Djokovic finally broke the fourth seed with a backhand pass to lead 2-1 – only the second time in the tournament the Swiss had dropped serve.

A huge fist pump in the direction of his player box followed when he saw out the set, and despite Federer landing 83% of first serves and hitting 13 aces in the third set, the Serb took the tie-break when Federer’s forehand let him down.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

Djokovic was playing in his third Wimbledon final in four years, having lost to Andy Murray last year

Victory was within sight when Djokovic twice moved ahead in the fourth, but Federer recovered the first break with a magnificent forehand winner, and then launched an astonishing comeback from 5-2 down.

A nervous Djokovic slipped to 0-30 when serving for the title and could only watch while sprawled on the turf as Federer guided a forehand into the open court on break point.

Djokovic’s return game remained potent enough to earn a championship point at 5-4, only for Hawk-Eye to confirm that Federer’s serve had kept the contest alive.

In under 10 minutes, the Serb would go from the brink of victory to an unwelcome fifth set as another edgy, error-strewn service game allowed Federer to go on and close out the fourth.

Riding a wave of adrenalin and overwhelming support in the decider, the Swiss had his chance at 3-3 but failed to convert a break point.

Federer brilliantly played his way out of three break points in the following game but Djokovic was in the ascendancy again.

With the advantage of serving first in the decider, Djokovic made it to 5-4 and was able to hit freely, earning another two championship points and raising his arms in triumph when Federer netted a backhand on the second.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

Djokovic and Federer were meeting for the 35th time, but only the second in a Grand Slam final
Novak Djokovic

Djokovic needed attention in the second set after a fall but came storming back
Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker

Djokovic headed into the stands to celebrate with coach and former champion Boris Becker
Novak Djokovic

A second Wimbledon title and seventh Grand Slam ends an 18-month drought without a major win
Roger Federer

Federer could have surpassed Arthur Ashe in 1975 as the oldest male winner in modern times

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Source: BBC Sport

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The Serb’s 4-6 6-3 6-3 victory was his fourth successive victory over Nadal but only his fourth on clay in their 41-match head-to-head series dating back to 2006.

After a slow start in which he twice dropped serve, Djokovic took control of the baseline rallies and finished the match with a flurry of precision groundstrokes that had Nadal reeling.

“Beating Rafa on clay is definitely a confidence booster,” Djokovic, who claimed his third Rome title and the 44th of his career, told reporters.

“Let’s hope it’s something I can take into Roland Garros.” Beating Nadal in the French capital is a different proposition altogether but the way Djokovic managed to dominate the Spanish world No.1 augurs well for his chances of completing his career grand slam next month.

He has won eight of the last nine sets they have contested. “It’s been a great week considering where I was a few weeks ago with the wrist injury,” said an emotional Djokovic, who was making his comeback in Rome after injuring himself in the Monte Carlo Masters last month and missing the Madrid Masters.

“I tried to be aggressive from the beginning to the end. It didn’t work at the start but I didn’t change the game plan and I found the right rhythm and everything started going in.”

Seven-times Rome champion Nadal had spent 10 hours on court reaching the final, including gruelling late-night wins over Gilles Simon and Andy Murray, and he looked powerless to stop Djokovic’s charge, although he did threaten a comeback in the decider when he broke back to 3-3.

Defeat for Nadal was his third on clay in a season for the first time in a decade and raised further questions about his form ahead of the French Open which starts next Sunday.

Source: Reuters

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