PROPOSAL FOR A COMPREHENSIVELY MODIFIED GOVERNANCE

STRUCTURE FOR TAKORADI POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS REPRESENTATIVE

COUNCIL

BY: LORD AZINAH NARTEY

FORMER SRC LEGAL CHAIR
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INTRODUCTION
In the words of LaseniaQarase a well balanced, inclusive approach, according to certain
standards and ideals, is essential for the proper governance of any institution. Student
Leadership in most tertiary institutions, i.e. KNUST, University of Education-Winneba,
University of Ghana, University of Development Studies, Accra Polytechnic, Sunyani
Polytechnic and Koforidua Polytechnic among other tertiary institutions, have successfully
spiced up their Governance Structure with Lasenias proposition. The Students Representative
Council of Takoradi Polytechnic, in its continued effort in providing a medium for students to
voice their concerns and opinions and representing the student perspective on a variety of
campus issues, is however since its inception, deficient of a well-structured system of student
governance. This proposal is aimed at recommending a comprehensively modified governance
structure, which if successfully implemented, will deepen the course of student democracy on
campus under the administration of H.E Isaac Kwame Tay.
OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Article 5 and 6 of the SRC Constitution spells out the composition of the SRC to include:

The Executive Committee; President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary

The Local GNUPS President
The Womens Commissioner
The JCR Heads, their Secretaries and Treasurers
The School Heads, their Secretaries and Treasurers
Chairpersons of committees formed under the constitution or by a resolution of the
General Council.

This has actually been the structure and composition of the SRC General Council since 2010, as
by the constitution of the SRC established. Objectively, it would be clearly realized that this
structure considers only one arm of student government, which is the Executive, assuming both
judicial and legislative powers as by the SRC Constitution established. One factor that might
account for the status quo, deals with the inability of the SRC Constitution to clearly define the
governance structure to meet both legislative and judicial responsibilities. Subsequently,the
current system overburdens the Executive arm with a lot of responsibilities and also fails to
address issues of separation of powers, checks and balances, transparency, accountability and
openness.
Another aspect of the current system has to do with the committees under the SRC. With
reference to precedents, the Committee chairpersons and Committee members of the SRC are
mostly appointed by the Executive Committee in consultation with the conventionally created
Executive Council (Executive Committee + Womens Commissioner, GNUPS Local
Representative, School Heads and JCR Heads). This actually provides a conducive platform for
appointed Committee chairpersons and members to be duly ratified.
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However, arguments that can be raised from this system is whether Committee chairpersons
would be ready to freely question the actions of those who appointed them without fear of losing
their positions.
Again, there is a problem with composition of the current Executive Committee as by
constitution established. During SRC Elections, the positions that are normally contested
include:

President together with his Vice

Secretary
Treasurer
GNUPS Local Rep
Womens Commissioner

The Constitution since 2010 has considerably failed to include the GNUPS Rep. and the
Womens Commissioner, who are both elected by the citizens of the Student Republic of
Takoradi Polytechnic during SRC Elections, to be part of the Executive Committee.
It can therefore be deduced that, the SRC, as a human institution, is currently anemic in its quest
to achieving a sustainably motivated student governance system founded on the principles of
student democracy.
STRUCTURE OF THE MODIFIED SYSTEM
The modified system seeks to divide the Student Government into three arms with each branch
acting as a check on the powers of the other branches so that the powers of Student
Government are not consolidated in one person or body. A system, that allows for legislations
(laws, bills) to come from the Student Parliament, enforcement of laws through disciplinary
measures to emanate from the Judicial Council and the execution or implementation of Student
projects, policies and plans to emanate from the General Executive Council.

ARMS OF TAKORADI POLYTECHNIC STUDENT GOVERNMENT

General
Executive
Council

Legislative
Council

Judicial
Council

NATURE OF THE GENERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The Executive
Committee

The JCR Heads, their

Secretaries and
Treasurers

The School Heads,

their Secretaries and
Treasurers

The Ministers of SRC

Ministries (Currently
referred to as
Committee
Chairpersons)

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

STRUCTURE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

GNUPS Local
Rep

Women's
Commissioner

THE JCR HEADS, THEIR TREASURERS AND SECRETARIES

Treasurer

Treasurer

Treasurer

Treasurer

NzemaMensah
Hall
President

Ahanta
Hall
President

Ghacem
Hall
President

Get-Fund
Hall
President

Secretary

Secretary

Secretary

Secretary

THE SCHOOL HEADS, THEIR TREASURERS AND THEIR SECRETARIES

Treasurer

Treasurer

Treasurer

Treasurer

School of
Business
(SOBS)
President

School of
Engineeri
ng (SOE)
President

School of
Applied
Arts (SAA)
President

School of
Applied
Science
(SASA)
President

Secretary

Secretary

Secretary

Secretary

MODIFIED MINISTERS (IES) WITHIN THE SRC

CURRENT COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON
Legal Committee Chairperson
Finance Committee Chairperson
Public Relations Officer (PRO)
Planning Committee Chairperson
Sponsorship Committee Chairperson
Entertainment Committee Chairperson
Publication and Information Committee Chairperson
Academic Committee Chairperson
Transport Committee Chairperson
Welfare Committee Chairperson
Private Hostels Committee Chairperson
Asset Committee Chairperson
Project Committee Chairperson
Audit Committee Chairperson
Sports Committee Chairperson

MODIFIED MINISTERIAL POSITION

Council Attorney
Minister of Finance
Minister of Communication and Public Relations
Minister of Planning and Policy Evaluation
Minister of Sponsorships and Events Advocacy
Minister of Arts and Entertainment
Minister of Information and Publication
Minister of Academic Welfare
Minister of Transport
Minister of Environment and Student Welfare
Minister of Private Residency
Minister of Assets
Minister of Works
Auditor General
Minister of Sports

NATURE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

The Legislative Council shall be called Takoradi Polytechnic Parliament House and will be
headed by the Speaker of Parliament.It would be the legislative arm of the SRC aimed at
CHAMPIONING STUDENT DEMOCRACY and will be guided by the Standing Orders in its
proceedings and procedure. Plans are already underway with the introduction of the Provisional
Standing Orders available at this website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/205707721/TakoradiPolytechnic-Parliament-Standing-Orders
The Provisional Standing Orders covers the following headings:

Election of members; majority/minority caucuses

Election of speaker, deputy speakers and oaths
Privileges and honorarium
Contempt of parliament or breach of privilege
Duties of the clerk and the marshal
Summoning and dissolution of parliament
Sittings and adjournments of the house
Communications from and to the house
Order of business
Questions to ministers and other members
Motions and amendments
Rules of debate
Order in the house
Votes of censure and removal from office
Voting in the house
Bills
Financial procedure
Forms of oaths

Its gmail account is: Tparliamenthouse@gmail.com. Its facebook name is: TAKORADI
POLYTECHNIC PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

Its provisional logo is also available below:

COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF PARLIAMENT

Members of Parliament will be duly derived from the various levels within an Academic
Constituency (Department) as established in the Provisional Standing Orders. It shall also
include various representatives from Halls, Schools, and Religious bodies, thus the SRC
Chaplain will be a member of Parliament. Again, the Islamic Board or Association President will
also be a member of Parliament.The Speaker of Parliament shall take precedence over all other
persons in Parliament; andin descending order, the order of precedence in Parliament shall be:
Speaker Of
Parliament
First Deputy
Speaker
Second
Deputy
Speaker
Majority
Leader
Minority
Leader
Majority
Chief Whip
Minority
Chief Whip

NATURE OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL

The Judicial Council shall comprise of the members of the current Legal Committee of the SRC
as well as the legal Chairs for various Schools and will be headed by the Chief Justice. The
Judicial Council will have the power to deal with all Acts of Indiscipline on the part of any
member of the General Executive Council, the Legislative Council or its Council members. It
shall also have the power to prescribe any appropriate punishment and shall have jurisdiction in
every matter relating to the interpretation of any provision of whether a person or body of person
have acted ultra-vires the powers conferred on them by the Constitution.
STRUCTURE OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL

Chief Justice

Committee
Members

SOBS Legal
Chair

SOE Legal
Chair

SAA Legal
Chair

SASA Legal
Chair

CONCLUSION
This proposal will help deepen the course of more refined democratic governance within the
Students Representative Council Governance Structure.
NB: If this proposed General Executive Council is given a positive response, plans will be
underway to clearly define the various roles of each member of the Council. Provisions will also
be made to accommodate the Executive Council which shall include:
The Executive Committee members
School Heads and JCR Heads