It’s that time of the year again. As always, student aspirants—much like miniature versions of mainstream politicians—are making grand, often whimsical promises to win over the student electorate and gain political power.
Year after year, students at the University for Development Studies (UDS), like those in many other universities across Ghana, line up at polling stations to elect new leaders to the Student Representative Council (SRC). Yet, one must ask: have these leaders truly served the interests of the student body, or merely their own?
This question lingers as the same pressing issues—some as old as the institution itself—resurface every election season. From chronic water crises and poor road networks to sanitation challenges, inadequate lighting and security, and substandard infrastructure, these problems remain unresolved. They continue to dominate campaign manifestos, recycled annually with little evidence of progress.
And yet, with hope renewed, students will once again join the queues this year, casting their ballots with the belief that this time, perhaps, they will elect leaders who prioritize the collective interest over personal ambition.