A passionate appeal has been made to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu and the leadership of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to extend charter accreditation requirements of private universities to 10 years.

Vice President of Ghana Christian University College, Dr. Dr. Richard Owusu Nyarko, says this will enable institutions that could not fulfill their charter obligations fulfill the obligations.

He noted that many private universities were going through financial constraints as a result of servicing high interest loans, delays in securing funding for infrastructural projects, and rolling out well-structured new academic and professional programmes that conform to GTEC's specifications.

Dr. Dr. Nyarko, who shared his personal views on the issue, said, “Many institutions have had to seek external investors or take on crippling debt just to keep their doors open.”

According to Dr. Dr Nyarko, the critical role private universities play in maintaining the country’s reputation as a leading educational hub in West Africa should not be overlooked.

He wants authorities to temper mercy with justice and give them another opportunity to fulfill their charter obligations.

Dr. Dr. Nyarko believes however, that many institutions risk collapsing without any state support, which can eventually jeopardize thousands of students and faculties.