Communications Director for the Ministry of Education [MoE], Ekow Vincent Assafuah has categorically stated that the conversion of the Unity and Katanga halls into mixed halls at the KNUST is never the cause of the recent riots by the students.
Most Ghanaians believe the recent violent demonstration in the University was as a result of the school authorities converting the single sex halls into mixed halls.
According to Vincent Assafuah, the students have confirmed they never meant any violent protest until they realized some colleagues of theirs had been arrested in line of their peaceful demonstration.
This was because government accepted their grievances in good faith, engaging in negotiations to address their issues at hand.
“It was not the conversion of single halls into mixed that caused the KNUST chaos as being speculated all over the country, but the arrest of students by school management, when there were engagements behind the scenes by government to resolve the misunderstandings between the school council and students,” he said.
In a one-on-one interview on UTV’s ‘Adekye Nsroma’ show, the MoE Communications Director indicated “the Student Representative Council [SRC] have admitted taking up the full cost of the damaged caused by some students in the school, but the school council have to access the total amount of the damage caused for the necessary decision to be taken first”.
The Chancellor of the KNUST, His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has gone to inspect the extent of damages caused by irate students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Barely a week ago, students of the school went on rampage to register their grievances against school authorities, destroying school properties in the process.
The Occupant of the Golden Stool in his visit was accompanied by some chiefs of the Kumasi Council and some members of the Vice Chancellors Ghana.
On his arrival, he first inspected the administration block and later the Transport Section, TEC Hospital area and finally at the Office of the Dean of Students.
Peacefmonline gathers that the cost of destruction amounts to GHC 1.7 million.
Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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the man is a foooooooool
Masa check your facts well. There’s no smoke without fire.
I think, the VC and the university council are equally to blame just like the students. In advanced countries, leaders who are unable to provide excellent leadership are called to resign/ sacked. But in Africa, no one resigns, no matter how bad their leadership style. No one is held accountable. If GH was an advanced country, the students who destroyed property will be facing the courts and the VC would have resigned or been sacked long time ago. Again, this is Africa - a place where everybody is above the law and no one is under the law.
Dr. Tia, u have, indeed, said it all... And I'm not surprised about the Moe official making that weird statement. That's how we have been solving our problems in Ghana. Cutting the branches instead of uprooting the root and these problems never go. Is it not Katanga students who were mostly brutalized, culminating in the riots? Please, PRO, come again... Don't add insults to the injuries...
@ Dr. Tia, thank you for hitting the nail right on the head - Couldn't have said it better!...still following.
Just like the 1948 riots which occured after a protest march by unarmed ex-servicemen was broken up by police, leaving several leaders of the group dead. There were two main causes of this riots. The remote cause and the immediate cause. Remember, among those killed during the 1948 riots was Sergeant Nii Adjetey. The immediate cause of KNUST saga was the brutalities meted out to students but the remote cause was the conversion of the Halls. So if you really want a solution to this problem, kindly loot at these 2 causes carefully. If the MOE treats only the immediate cause then, they should look forward to seeing another riots taking up lives. SIGNED: DR RICHARD TIA (SNR LECTURER) DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, KNUST.