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STATE
OF THE AFRICAN UNION
Kofi Annan Center
of Excellence,
Osu, Accra, Ghana, November 17, 2008
International Students’ Day Celebration 2008
Dr Jonathan
Goodluck with his wife receiving AASU award in Pretoria,
July 2006
Youth and Student organizations from the length and breadth
of Africa will be meeting in Accra, Ghana on November 17,
2008 to celebrate International Students’ day and Kwame
Nkrumah Leadership Award lecture of the All-Africa Students
Union, AASU.
This year’s event is tagged; “STATE OF THE AFRICAN UNION”
with the theme “LIVING THE DREAM” will be held at
University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. The National Union of
Ghana Students will host the event. Other co-partners are
Parrotnews Media Inc and Global
Crusaders
The symposium which will draw most
influential thinkers, entertainers, and political leaders of
our time during International Students ‘Day Celebration
is to educate, enlighten and empower Africa by bringing
people together and engaging them in thoughtful dialogue,
leading the way to constructive action.
AASU
is the initiator of the popular Kwame Nkrumah Lecture
series which has featured in Ghana for the last ten years.
In July 2006, President Thabo Mbeki hosted the 2006 Award
lecture in Pretoria, South Africa where the incumbent vice
president of Nigeria (Dr. Jonathan Goodluck) and former
Governor of Nassarawa State (Alh. Abdullahi Adamu)
represented President
Olusegun
Bearing in mind that Africa is presently faced with
the challenges of leadership; the aim of the Prize, awarded
every two years by the AASU, is to promote all forms of
action of good leadership designed to “construct the
defenses of African culture of leadership and integrity in
minds of men” by rewarding particular outstanding
leaders with vision towards the upliftment of Africa, with
the purpose of serving as role model for younger generation
in line with the constitution and charter of AASU in the
spirit of Pan-Africanism of late
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The president of Republic of Ghana, H.E Mr. John
Agyekum Kuffour will receive the highest honor of the
All-Africa Students Union on November 17, 2008. Others are,
Dr. Ibn Mohammed Chambas, Executive Secretary of
ECOWAS, Ambassador Abedi Ayew “Pele”, Dr (Mrs)
Cecilia Ibru, (MD Oceanic Bank, Nigeria) Ambassador
Comnin Wisse from Liberia, Prof. E.A.C Nwanze, (Chairman
Committee of Vice Chancellor, Nigeria) Prof MohamedBhai
Goolam from Mauritius, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan Executive
Governor of Delta, Nigeria and host of others from Africa
and the Diaspora.
High quality speakers among our delegates and
awardees from the
worlds of academia, business, politics,
sports, entertainment, and the media will presents papers on
-
Good governance, its elements and operationalisation for
Africa
-
Public Higher Education: Access and Quality
-
Brain drain, skills shortages
-
Illegal Migration and Danger Involve
-
Malaria disease; Prevention and Treatment Challenges in
Africa
Kindly contact All-Africa Students Union at
secgen@aasu.org.gh or check our website
www.aasu.org.gh to register for your participation and
regular update. Looking forward to seeing you all in Ghana
on November 17
Aluta
Continua!
XX
ANNIVERSARY OF THE MAGNA CHARTA OBSERVATORY UNIVERSITATUM
Bologna,
Italy, 18 – 20 September 2008
Autonomy and
Academic Freedom in Africa
Oludare
OGUNLANA
Secretary-General, All-Africa Students Union, Ghana
H.E President of the Republic of Slovenia, President of
Magna Charta Observatory Council, Rector of University of
Bologna, Minister of Education and Science, Republic of
Kazakhstan, President, Towson University, United States of
America, Chair of Education Committee of Egyptian
Parliament, Rector of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia,
Invited Guests, All protocol Observed
As we celebrate the XX Anniversary of the Magna Charta
Universitatum, let me congratulate the writers of the Magna
Charta for a wonderful job well done as per academic freedom
and autonomy which is a complete reflection of a traditional
and cultural role of “true Universities”. It is our humble
recommendation that students’ representative should be
included in the list of the signatories in the near future.
Once again we reaffirm the importance of academic freedom,
the fundamental role of the state in funding education, the
autonomy of the institutions and the full participation of
students in the decision making bodies in all aspects of the
higher education system.
READ MORE
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES
10th Annual Youth
& College Leadership Summit
"Transforming Youth to Ignite Change",
October 31 - November 1, 2008. Morgan
State University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Every November, NLLC hosts the Youth & College
Leadership Summit. This event brings young leaders
together from around the nation to develop leadership
skills, discuss issues facing youth, and devise strategies
to address these problems. Participants network and make
valuable contacts to help in their personal, career, and
organizational development. What makes this event unique is
that since its inception, it has been planned and organized
for youth, by youth.
All-Africa Students Union is a partner organization to
the New Light Leadership Coalition and have facilitated the
participation of young people and student leaders from
Africa from the inception of the Leadership summit.
The corner stone of the event is skill building workshop
provided for the participants pertaining to personal,
social, educational, economic, political, technological, and
organizational development. The following is the list of
core topics
· Leadership Development
· Student Organizing
· Team Building
· Networking
· Entrepreneurship
· Career Development
· Public Speaking
· Financial Management
· Political Activism
Please contact us at
aasusecgen@yahoo. com
or
secgen@aasu. org.gh
for further information about your participation and
registration fee.
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Accra, 15 August 2008.
H.E Mr.
Kofi Annan (Former
UN Secretary-General)
Chancellor,
University of Ghana
Ghana
Your Excellency,
VICTIMISATION OF A FORMER NUGS
PRESIDENT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF
GHANA
The Secretariat of the
All-Africa
Students Union, (AASU)
presents its compliments to you
and wishes to congratulate your
Excellency on your recent
installation as the Chancellor
of University of Ghana.
With utmost respect, we are
sending this petition for your
urgent intervention in respect
of ongoing victimization of Mr.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. His
admission to the Law Faculty per
the Law Faculty’s notice dated
21st July 2008 and
his name appears as number 7
(See appendix A) and an earlier
admission to pursue a
graduate program leading
to the award of
Masters Degree in Communication
Studies has been withdrawn on
the instruction of the
Vice-Chancellor of the
University. (See appendix B)
Mr. Ablakwa graduated in the
department of political science
of University of Ghana in the
year 2006 and also served as a
President of National Union of
Ghana Students (NUGS).
During his tenure as the
president of NUGS, there was
crisis on campus during
students’ union election that
prompted him to issue a public
statement as the National
President of NUGS, calling on
the
University of Ghana authority
to keep hands off the union
election in order to pave way
for independent unionism. This
was in line with NUGS policy
that all member unions which the
University of Ghana students
union is a member should be able
to conduct their election
without interference from
institution’s managements. (See
appendix C)
As
a result of the spontaneous
protest that greeted the
university decision to control
the student union based on the
disqualification of the leading
presidential candidate,
led to the suspension of
election to the office of SRC
president for the year 2006.
Consequent upon this, the
university authorities set up a
disciplinary committee to
investigate the cause of the
pandemonium that emerged as a
result of the protest. Mr.
Ablakwa was never informed at
any point in time that adverse
finding has been made against
him and the nature of sanction
recommended.
In
fact, he was allowed to graduate
and obtained his academic
transcript and most importantly
his certificate. Up until the 21st
of July 2008, Mr. Ablakwa was
unaware of the details of the
sanctions against him by the
University of Ghana, and this
was after he had gained
admission for post graduate
studies.
Your honor, the withdrawal of
Mr. Ablakwa’s admission is a
breach of his
fundamental human rights
and an act of witch-hunting and
victimization directed towards
him as a result of his role as a
student leader. This is
an ugly development and
unexpected in this century where
school authorities should
see students’ leaders as
partners in development.
Your Excellency, as an
international man of high
repute, we call for your urgent
intervention. It is our humble
request that Mr. Ablakwa’s
admission must be restored and
to be followed with an apology
from the university authority.
As
an international statesman, we
recalled vividly your personal
efforts towards upliftment and
development of youth all over
the world viz-a-viz education.
The act by the University of
Ghana Vice-Chancellor is an
attempt to demoralize, deny and
kill the dream of an African
youth.
Sir, entire African students are
proud of you and your legacy as
the former Secretary-General of
the United Nations. We strongly
believe in your God’s given
wisdom and your ability in
resolving this issue without any
legal or student mass action.
We
pray you to take cognizance of
the fact that registration for
the 2008/2009 academic year is
on-going and lectures commence
on Monday 18th August
2008 hence time is of essence in
this matter and your urgent
intervention would be most
appreciated.
We
look forward to a favourable
response and seize this
opportunity to express to you
the assurances of our highest
esteem.
Yours faithfully,
Oludare
Ogunlana
Secretary-General, AASU
CC
Chairman of the Council,
University of Ghana
President, ECOWAS
Secretary-General,
Association of African
Universities
President,
International Union of Students,
Prague
President,
International Association of
Universities
All Member Unions
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Accra, 15 August 2008.
Press Statement for Immediate
Release
The
All-Africa
Students Union, (AASU),
in conjunction with
National Universities
Education Students Association,
(NUESA) of
University of Ibadan will
organise a public symposium on
National
Electoral Reform at
Trenchard Hall, University of
Ibadan on Wednesday 20 August
2008. The theme of the forum is;
National Electoral Reform;
Challenges and Prospects
The
thematic foci of: National
Electoral Reform; Challenges and
Prospect was chosen to aggregate
opinions of the often neglected
strata of the society, the
youth, students,
civil society groups and
the informal section consisting
of those who do not seem to have
a choice of their own, the
flotsam and jetsam that are
found in the market place,
garages farms etc
As the national dialogue
receives minimal attention from
the people because of the bad
experience of the last elections
and Nigerians’ experiences with
past insincere attempts at
charting a people driven
electoral reforms, our
humble intention in organizing
this public forum on the reform
is to wake people up from the
state of political inertia and
make them participate in debate.
Appreciating the general
ineptitude and despondency that
NER Committee is viewed. The
outcome of their recommendations
is going to determine the
political and social relations
of Nigerians cutting across
geo-ethnic, cultural and
political groups, in fact, it is
going to determine the continual
mutual existence of
Nigeria as a nation of
nations
Experts, stake holders, media
practitioners, political
groups, civil society, youth and
student organizations, the
electorates and the general
public will have the opportunity
of the forum to look at the
critical issues of elections,
electoral processes, the
electoral structures, party
formations, election tribunal
formation and the justice
systems among other issues
Resolutions: it is expected that
the resolutions from the public
will form part of the memorandum
to be submitted to NERC.
The
choice of Ibadan as the venue is
significant for its centrality
in south west politics and as a
melting point of political
opinions and activities in
Nigeria
H.E Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
has confirmed his participation
as a lead speaker while he will
be honored at the forum as
“Nigeria Pillar of Democracy”
alongside with Alh.
Attahiru Bafarawa a
former Governor of
Sokoto State and DPP
presidential Candidate in
2007
Other expected guests include,
Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Comrade
Moshood Erubami, Professor G.G
Darah, NBA chairman in Ibadan,
Mr. Lanre Arogundade of IPC,
NANS President,
Student Leaders and
Chairmen of political parties.
Oludare Ogunlana
Secretary-General, AASU
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AASU- is a
continental representative organisation of democratic student unions
founded in 1972 with 54 member unions from francophone and Anglophones
Africa. Affiliated to the International Union of Students (IUS).
AASU has a Consultative Status with UNESCO; ECOSOC accredited with
UNCCD and enjoys a cordial working relationship with the UN system.
The activities of AASU are carried out within the framework of its
constitution these among other things are: To develop working relation/co-operation
with other sub-regional, regional and international youth and student
organizations, governmental, inter and non-governmental organizations
on issues of common concern and interest; i.e. Access to Education,
Democracy, project on HIV\AIDS, ICT in Higher Education in Africa,
Gender issues and Academic freedom.
All-Africa
Students Union (AASU), State House Complex, Opp. Awudome Cemetery, P.O.Box M274, Accra, Ghana
Tel: (233 - 24) 233092, (233-21) 258484 Fax: (233 - 21) 774821
Email: secgen@aasu.org.gh;
Url: www.aasu.org.gh
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