Senior vice-president of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil has expressed displeasure about how members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) are mistreated.

According to him, there is sufficient justification for the lecturers striking since government is not listening to their plight on demanding better working conditions.

“I think they have been disrespected. To think this country is not treating our intellectuals well. And to force them to this place where they almost have to sign up for a life of penury is not right.

"And to bring them to a point where they virtually have to get unto the streets and demonstrate for what is a pittance. I think it’s totally unfair.”

Referring to the lifestyle of the average politician in the country, he said, “I do think that they should insist on what they are asking for.”

Speaking to host Samson Lardy Anyenini on Newsfile Saturday, the private legal practitioner urged government to properly manage the tertiary educational system if they insist on being in charge and solely funding it.

“Otherwise, the government can simply give them a budget because of their social and economic importance. And then allow them to function and to raise the money that they are capable of raising, and of paying themselves the proper wages that they are capable of paying themselves.”

He said that with the University of Ghana having a student population of over 40,000 with facilities already in place, he suggested that government allocate some government budget to lecturers.

With this measure in place, he advised the government to leave the universities to run their affairs and raise the requisite funds to cater to their financial needs.

“They should apply the Competitor Parity Rule. If anybody can run a university without government subvention, then the University of Ghana should be able to do better. Leave them alone, allow them to raise the money they can.

"They have doctors; there have intellectuals, they have labs, they have all kinds of facilities already in place. They have hostels. That place is a money-making machine. And trust me, people are making a lot of money there," he said.