The Ghana Institute of Journalism, like most tertiary schools, are heading to the polls to elect a new executive body for its Student’s Representative Council (SRC).
The election is scheduled to come off on Sunday April 29 and Monday April 30 for the Weekend and Regular students respectively.
GIJ’s forthcoming SRC elections seems to be no different from that of other schools, especially on the drama exhibited by at least two candidates bidding to become president.
From the country’s premium communication university, there are three persons contesting for the Presidential office.
They are Mr. Kwasi Nimo Jnr., Mr. Orlando Tettey and Emmanuel Kumah.
The rivalry currently is between Team Orlando and Team Kumah.
In a fresh turn of events, a message, purported to from the camp of Mr. Kumah has described Mr. Orlando as nothing but a “propagandist”.
Mr. Kumah has been accused of stealing the policies of Mr. Ewura Karim Adams, a presidential candidate in the University of Ghana SRC elections.
According to Team Orlando, Mr. Kumah, instead of bringing policies applicable to the student’s of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, has resorted to borrowing of ideas of Mr. Adams, which are only “strong and nice”
Two heights Mr. Kumah promises to achieve, when given the nod, is to create a “Yi bi Boa” fund out of which about GHC 1,000 would be given to volunteers at Radio GIJ, to motivate them work harder.
Again, Mr. Kumah has promised to facilitate a laptop per student scheme. He explains that this policy will help students get a laptop at a subsidized price.
Team Orlando argues that students of the University of Ghana failed to elect Mr. Adams as their leader because his [Mr. Adam’s] policies were not feasible.
However, in a response to these allegations, they argue that there is nothing wrong adopting the University of Ghana’s Yi Bi Boa Fund to the Ghana Institute of Journalism with the purpose of “motivating Radio GIJ volunteers and rekindling volunteerism and patriotism among students”, a message from the camp of Kumah read.
On the laptop per student scheme, Team Kumah said “Maybe we should also say that Legon aspirant [Ewura Karim Adams] copied that policy from Mahama, who launched this policy years ago.”
According to Team Kumah, even if they stole the policies from Mr. Adams, they are logical, insightful and practical enough to impact students of GIJ, hence, they shouldn’t be rejected on the basis that they were policies of Mr. Adams, a candidate in the 2018 University of Ghana SRC Presidential elections.
They also call for Mr. Kumah to be applauded for his “proactive and daring leadership prowess”