The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) have appealed to the Electoral Commission to set up voter registration centers on the campuses of the Universities across the country.
According to NUGS, every student must have the opportunity exercise their constitutional right and students must not disenfranchised in the election machinery of the country.
Addressing the media on the establishment of vote Transfer Centers in tertiary institutions across the country, the President of NUGS, Mr. Kyeremeh Opong Daniel said the student body have petitioned the Electoral Commission on their request to set up voters registration centers on university campus as part of the effort to ensure that students participate in all electoral process in the country.
“Students pursuing their academic goals will find it difficult to vote in their designated constituencies,” he said and explained that thousand of students study far from their places of residence and must not be denied from the upcoming general elections.
He outlined some key challenges facing the students namely, distance to the registration centers, financial Constraints, examination schedules, systemic pressure among others which mainly involves transport cost, lack of access to centers and the ability to have their vote transfer is not always guaranteed as a result of logistical and systems failures.
“Article 42 of the constitution guarantees every citizen of Ghana, aged eighteen and above the right to vote, Article 45 and Article 46 also empowers the Electoral Commission to make regulations for the transfer of vote which ensures that no citizen is disenfranchised.
Report by Ben LARYEA
