SPEECH DELIVERED BY MR. DERBIE RAPHAEL THE PRESIDENT OF UWESU ON 14TH APRIL, 2018 AT OLD AUDITORIUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION WINNEBA, KUMASI IN THE OCCASION OF UWESU DAY/ HANDOVER CEREMONY

SPEECH DELIVERED BY MR. DERBIE RAPHAEL THE PRESIDENT OF UWESU ON 14TH APRIL, 2018 AT OLD AUDITORIUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION WINNEBA, KUMASI IN THE OCCASION OF UWESU DAY/ HANDOVER CEREMONY.

Mr. Chairman, patrons of the union present, our gallant and respected chiefs present, the MP for Wa Central, Hon. Rashid Abdul Pelpuo, lecturers present, our spectacular Artists present, SRC, hall and departmental executives present, the various regional executives, UWESU executives from other campuses, comrades and ladies and gentlemen. It is a great day dawned on me to present to you the presidential speech.

Today marks exactly a year when this mantle was bestowed on me to steer the affairs of this noble union. I was overly excited, assuming the highest office of this great union and as I speak, I am very much enthused to relinquish my power to somebody to continue the good works we have done. In fact, I am of unshakable confidence that the incoming executives will take the union to a higher height because the union has now been laid on a strong and solid grounds by this administration. The facelift that has been given to the union is something the current crop of executives have so much desired. Thanks to God it has been achieved. It is on this score that I deemed the union well-grounded for the incoming executives to build on. Indeed, they have the highest chance to move the union to a higher pedestal and anything lesser than the current status quo will mean they have failed totally. This means that they have no course to fail.

Through the fiat and instrumentality of the current administration, an appreciated number of successes have been chalked. This mega grand durbar we are in now is a clear indication of our unrelented effort to making UWESU the finest union. It is worth noting that no seed grows into harvest joys without the planter’s diligent labour of love. Until we understand this as members of the union with a common purpose, UWESU current status quo will be uneasy to sustain.
Going forward, the union’s account at Akwamaman Rural Bank that has been dormant for so many years now has been activated through our effort to ensure financial security and forward movement of the union.

Also, two different sets of Lacoste T-shirts for members have been printed and sold to them. Through that, one of targets has been realised which is the popularity of the union. It is a known fact that the union is now more popular on campus and beyond than it was. Our penchant to liberate the union from financial constrain, the T-shirts yielded an appreciable amount as income for the union. This means that one stone has been used to kill two birds.

Furthermore, the existence of every union on campus depends on its ability to meet the constitutional rules and regulations governing the amalgamated clubs. The union is still vibrantly functioning because it has been renewed.

Not only that but also, several football matches have been organised between UWESU and other sub-unions on campus and beyond. This includes the recent match with UWESU KNUST, and one with BONABOTO students yesterday. This is done to ensure cordial relationship between members of our UWESU and other unions. Ensuring socialization has been of much concern to us since the world is a global village.

We have also been able to organise a Union Bus on vacations for members travelling back to the Upper West Region. This, I will acknowledge our able Organiser for his good work.

Additionally, our relationship with our patrons and lecturers on this campus has significantly been elevated to a level that is invaluable. It is not surprising we have all these lecturers in our midst. This is enough a justification that the current crop of leadership has proven beyond every reasonable doubt of our unflinching commitment to lifting up higher the flag of UWESU.

Let me use this opportunity to sincerely acknowledge the support of our cherished patrons for their advice and support in our times of call. In fact, they have always been our fathers and point of call.

The above notwithstanding, the union has some challenges that keep impeding the speedy forward movement of the union. These includes:
Lack of cultural materials and instruments. As I speak, UWESU has not been able to buy a xylophone as its own property apart from begging from people nearby to perform our cultural display in occasions like this and send them back. The xylophone we are using for this celebration is a begged one from a relative at Abuakwa. The costumes being used here are also begged ones from relatives at Abremen. Membership dues which is our major source of finance does not yield the expected results because some members fail to fulfil the financial obligations.

Financial constrain. Just as many other unions, the case of UWESU in terms of finance is no different though there has been a significant improvement this time round. Our financial muscle is far below average.

Non-commitment of some members to the union’s activities including meetings, cannot go unmentioned in this celebration. UWESU has over 500 members on campus here yet when a meeting is called, only a handful attends it. We have most of our members hiding their identity for reasons best known to them. We see them speaking either English or Twi to people they stay with, back at home. Why they feel shy to speak their local language with one another is something one cannot categorically point out. This behaviour is closely associated with the ladies and few men who run after campus ladies. It is very lugubrious. We need a complete change of this attitude. Let us all be citizens and not spectators of the union.

Having said a lot about the union on this campus, it is equally imperative and significant I make a loud cry on some pertinent issues happening in the region, thus Upper West Region. The region for some time past, through education, has been noted for the production of very prolific, learned and level-headed human resources not only for the region but also for the country and beyond. The likes of Hon. Rashid Pelpuo, Hon. Alban Bagbin, Hon. Ambrose Dery, Hon. Benjamin Kuubour are classical examples. It therefore saddens me of recent times, our younger brothers and sisters at home find it difficult to pass BECE and WASSCE to move to the next level of education. Performances in renowned schools in the region have speedily dwindled and no one can point out the cause of that unpalatable change. In fact, the falling standard of education in the region is now wearing beret and desperately needs the swift interventions by our chiefs, politicians, teachers, UWESU, parents, government and all stakeholders. Schools in the region are usually found at the bottom of the table when results are released, analysis done and schools ranked. What a sad issue! It is a sacrosanct responsibility for us all to put our political colours aside and address them. Members of UWESU have started making frantic efforts to improve upon the education in the region by going back home for internship and also accepting posting to the region after completion. Some of us organized extra classes to as a way of contributing our quota towards the improvement of education in the region.

As I speak, the only Technical university in the region is still wobbling on its feet to providing quality education to students. The perennial brouhaha and long lasted court case surrounding the university is worrying. I therefore want to use this platform to make a clarion call on the president of Ghana, His excellency Nana Addo, to as a matter of urgency, intervene in this matter to bring a lasting solution to this problem in the Wa Technical University.

Another pressing issue worth noting is the lack of a substantive regional minister for the region over two months now. It is notably clear that all developmental activities have come to a standstill after our regional minister, Mr. Suleman Alhassan, was suspended by the president over an allegation that he supported a vigilante group that attacked the regional NADMO office on 31st January, 2018.

UWESU, having realized the halt of ongoing developmental projects in the region, some of which were commenced by the erstwhile Mahama administration such as Wa-Lawra-Nandom road, the Kaluri-Sakana-Nanville-Takpo road, Nadowli-Tangasia-Charikpong road, Wa regional hospital, Small Town Water Supply, the commissioning of the Upgraded Wa Airport for Commercial Purposes, among others. We wish to use this opportunity to call on the president of Ghana to either reinstate or appoint a new regional minister to man the affairs of the region since a broom without a rope tying it together cannot sweep properly. We indeed need a substantive regional minister to coordinate and ensure that the region gets its share of the national cake as in the $1Million Per Constituency, One Village One Dam, One District One Factory, etc.

These are our demands from the president of the Republic of Ghana. I will use this opportunity to wish the incoming administration the best of leadership.

Long live UWESU!
Long live COLTEC!
Long live Upper West!
Long live Ghana!!!