The Ministry of Education has convened a high-level stakeholder meeting to address the ongoing dispute over recent University of Ghana fee increases amid students’ disapproval and regulatory intervention.

The meeting, held in Accra on Thursday, January 8, 2026, brought together the University of Ghana Governing Council Chairperson Marrita Brew, Vice-Chancellor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare, leaders of the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC) and Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), as well as Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) Director-General, Prof. Abdulai Jinapor.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, who has been tasked by the Education Minister to lead engagements aimed at finding a legally compliant and broadly acceptable resolution.

The meeting follows weeks of intense backlash from students and parents after reports of academic fee increases of about 25%, with some first-year students facing hikes of up to 34%. Continuing students were reported to be paying roughly 27% more.

Dr. Apaak earlier explained that the ministry’s intervention was unavoidable.

“The level of public outcry from students and parents was such that we couldn’t have ignored it,” he said on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News.

He stressed that any fee adjustment must comply with the Fees and Charges Act, noting that Parliament had not approved an increase.

“Given that we work with laws and there are processes and procedures, the best thing was to instruct GTEC to call the university to stay any increase,” he added.

The University of Ghana, through Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Awandare, has maintained that the disputed charges were largely third-party fees approved by student leadership rather than management-imposed academic fees.

“What is in the report is about third-party fees which were imposed by the student leadership,” he said, arguing that rising utility costs made some adjustments unavoidable.

GTEC, however, has taken a firm regulatory position. In a January 5, 2026, letter to the Vice-Chancellor, the commission ordered an immediate reversal of all fee increases and newly introduced charges made without statutory approval.

It directed refunds for final-year students who overpaid and credits for continuing students, while reverting all dues, including SRC and GRASSAG charges, to last academic year’s approved rates.

“You are hereby requested to provide GTEC with evidence of compliance not later than January 12, 2026,” the commission warned, cautioning that failure would attract serious regulatory sanctions.

The UGSRC has previously attempted to justify some third-party fee adjustments, citing administrative errors, higher utility bills and the need to finance a proposed SRC hostel project.

SRC President Larbi Ofori Richmond said an additional ₵200 levy was intended to support long-term accommodation needs, adding that the planned facility could house about 15,000 students at affordable rates.

Thursday’s meeting is expected to harmonise these competing positions and ease tensions as stakeholders work toward a solution that balances student welfare and adherence to the law.

The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has urged the government to focus on essential services affecting the cost of living, even as some economic indicators show improvement.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, January 10, Mr Amoah acknowledged that certain prices are falling, but warned that rising costs of basic services, particularly water supply, continue to strain households.

He highlighted that in many communities across Accra and other parts of the country, taps do not run regularly, forcing residents to rely on private water tanker operators to meet their daily needs. According to him, the expenses associated with purchasing water from these services have significantly increased household costs.

“While other things are coming down, there is also the need not to lose focus on the others that we seem to be paying more for. There is the issue of water supply within the country. It is not untrue that for most communities in Accra here and other parts of the country, the taps are simply not flowing. And so people have resorted to buying water from these truck guys. It makes the cost of living quite expensive. I think that whiles we target the micro indicators, the very things that also affect the pocket or livelihoods of Ghanaians, we should not lose focus on them, one being water,” he said.

Mr Amoah’s comments come as consumers continue to grapple with the rising costs of essential utilities, highlighting the gap between headline economic improvements and day-to-day household realities.

The West Africa Editors Society (WAES) has urged that the identities of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) officers interdicted over the assault of a journalist be made public, emphasising that transparency is crucial for accountability and the protection of press freedom.

In a statement dated Friday, January 10 and signed by the society’s Interim President, Emmanuel Dogbevi, WAES said while it welcomed assurances by President John Dramani Mahama that officers involved in the assault of journalist Samuel Addo of the Class Media Group had been interdicted, the lack of details surrounding the action raised serious concerns.

The journalist was allegedly assaulted by a group of fire officers while covering a fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market in the Central Region on Monday, January 5, 2026. A video circulating on social media showed several officers physically attacking the journalist at the scene.

WAES noted that although the interdiction of the officers was a positive step, the absence of information on who the officers are and how many have been sanctioned falls short of the transparency required in a democratic system.

The editors’ body further expressed concern over what it described as conflicting accounts from the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, who initially denied that the journalist was assaulted, claiming only his mobile phone was seized, and later suggested that the alleged attackers were not fire service personnel.

According to WAES, publicly identifying the interdicted officers would help resolve these contradictions and assure the public that the matter is being handled honestly.

The Society also questioned the number of officers interdicted, noting that the journalist reported being assaulted by more than ten officers, making it necessary for authorities to clarify whether all those involved have been sanctioned.

WAES stressed that failure to deal openly with the case could encourage impunity and undermine confidence in institutions responsible for safeguarding citizens and journalists.

“It is our considered view that impunity thrives in darkness,” the statement said, adding that handling the matter transparently would strengthen accountability and enhance the safety of journalists in Ghana.