…students cry for assistance
By Samuel SAM
Lack of infrastructure investment leaves the Animal Health and Production College at Pong-Tamale in the Northern Region in a wretched state, undermining the quality of education received by veterinary officers being trained for the nation from the institute.
The poor infrastructure and environmental conditions have impeded both advanced technology usage practice and in-field practical learning in the school, affecting the quality of education delivered at the leading veterinary training college in the northern sector.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) executives of the agricultural college, popularly referred to as Veterinary College (VETCO), have lamented that since its establishment in 1960, the academic institution has received very little to no major rehabilitation to ensure a serene environment for enhanced studies.
With food insecurity becoming a national concern and the government’s promise to invest in agriculture to boost production, this institution hoped for investment to play a key role in the transformation process; however, it has fallen on the blind side of the state authorities.
The SRC mentioned that currently, there is no functioning student portal for online access to information. Tools and equipment for practical veterinary sessions for students are non-existent. Also troubling is the absence of a dispensary facility for students on campus, making academics ineffective and life unbearable on the campus.
“Currently, we are facing low water supply, inadequate hostel facility for students, inadequate accommodation for staff, inadequate bathhouses and toilet facilities as well as poor food quality and quantity.
“Other infrastructure deficits include inadequate furniture and lecture hall installations like projectors, louvre blades, unfunctional fan and poor lighting systems on campus,” the SRC executives mentioned.
The current student population is over 1,200 but only the old infrastructure present at the establishment some decades ago is still in use, such as a 200-capacity hostel facility.
During the rainy season, especially at night, some students have to stay awake, use their buckets to collect water from the leakages from the roofing and mop the room to avoid any destruction to their properties.
The B&FT discovered in an interaction with the students under anonymity that the current principal of the college, Dr. Eric Kwame Obeng, is over 60 years old (retired); yet he is still in office.
They alleged the matron cum storekeeper, Madam Tasana, was employed as a cleaner but is acting in such a capacity without qualification; hence, the call on the government for investigations.
Former Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Jacob Abande, also disclosed that several complaints and press conferences have been held to draw state attention to the deplorable state of the institution but still there is no response from the authority to address students’ grievances.
He said students paid feeding fees but did not get the required food.
A press statement released by Mr. Abande during his tenure as the SRC President and copied to the Vice Principal, Accountant, School Administrator, police, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and Community Chief mentioned that students are charged internship fees and tuition fees despite their admission letter stating otherwise.
However, the authorities explained that the fees charged are used to pay part-time tutors. He complained that ICT facility user charges paid in the previous semesters have not been utilised since there are no such services; therefore, they demand accountability.
The SRC, therefore, is pleading with the government and other policy-makers to liaise with the school management to grant their request to ensure peace reign in the college.
