Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for a moral reset in student governance.
Addressing a gathering of youth at the 2026 Pentecost Students and Associates–Ghana (PENSA–Ghana) Conference, the Vice President emphasised that the halls of academia are the primary forge for the nation’s future character.
She warned that the habits formed in student politics today—particularly regarding the management of financial resources—will determine the quality of Ghana’s national leadership tomorrow.
“On your campuses, leadership is taking shape in how group work is handled, who is included or excluded, and whether influence is used to lift others or advance yourself,” she observed. “These moments really allow themselves as leadership tests, but they are precisely that. This is important. As campus leaders, for example, if you collect dues from your fellow students, prioritise the entire student population.”
She urged student executives to view every cedi collected not as a personal kitty but as a sacred trust meant to serve the collective interest, particularly for the most vulnerable students who struggle to pay these levies.
Beyond the boardroom, the Vice President turned her attention to the classroom, linking academic integrity to professional credibility. In an age where digital tools have made shortcuts more accessible, she challenged the delegates to choose the difficult path of honesty.
Her warning was clear: the unethical practices cultivated in the lecture hall often graduate into the workplace, eroding the foundations of national institutions. She argued that true ambition is only sustainable when grounded in service and ironclad values.
The PENSA-Ghana Conference, known for drawing thousands of students from across the country’s tertiary institutions, served as the ideal platform for this state of the youth address.
The Vice President’s message focused on three core pillars:
- Inclusivity: Ensuring that leadership does not become an exclusive club for the powerful.
- Fiscal Transparency: Creating open-book systems for the management of student dues.
- Value-Based Ambition: Realigning success with service to others.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang concluded by encouraging the students to see themselves not as “leaders of tomorrow”, but as active guardians of integrity today.
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