The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has called on government to release the feeding grants to the over 48,000 teacher trainees across the country which have stalled since the beginning of the academic year.

According to NUGS, government had defaulted in the payment of feeding fees for the 2014/2015 academic year, resulting in authorities of the various Colleges of Education billing students in order to take care of their feeding needs.

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In a statement signed by NUGS President Paa-Quecy Adu on March 29, 2016, "The current levels 100, 200 and 300 Teacher Trainees' feeding fees have not been paid. As at now, three separate academic semesters' feeding fees are unpaid, summing up to GHS 1,620 per trainee," the statement said.

"This applies to the over 48,000 teacher trainees across the nation."

NUGS has, given government an ultimatum to government to "refund these monies to the teacher trainees before the end of the first week of April 2016," else they will seek other means to have their grievances resolved.

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Read below the full statement:REFUND THE TEACHER TRAINEES' FEEDING FEE, GOVERNMENT

The National Union of Ghana Students wishes to call on the Government of Ghana to, without further delay, see to the release of the feeding grants of the teacher trainees.

Teacher trainees are struggling with their academic work since most of them had to use their meagre upkeep money to pay for feeding fee as charged by the college authorities.

See related: Teacher trainees at Komenda College protest over 'unapproved fees'

The government promised to release the feeding grant to the authorities of the Colleges of Education to be used to feed the teacher trainees.

However, it is unfortunate to state that since 2014/2015 academic year, the current levels 100, 200, and 300 teacher trainees' feeding fee have not been paid.

As at now, three separate academic semesters' feeding fees are unpaid, summing up to GHS 1,620 per trainee.

This applies to the over 48,000 teacher trainees across the nation.

These teacher trainees have needs such as books and other academic materials to take care of hence the unnecessary pressure on them.

It's enough; teacher trainees can no longer contain this.

The leadership of NUGS wishes to send this message to the Government of Ghana to, as a matter of necessity, refund these monies to the teacher trainees before the end of the first week of April 2016.

It is important to state clearly that Government's inability to do this will force the students to take whatever means necessary to ensure that the teacher trainees’ feeding fees that are in arrears are refunded accordingly.

We at NUGS have run out of patience and all we need is a refund of the feeding fees.

Do not tell us stories. We need results and we need it NOW.

NUGS will not rest until the refund to teacher trainees is dealt with accordingly.SIGNED

PAA-QUECY ADUNUGS PRESIDENT