The University Teachers Association of Ghana, (UTAG) says it is satisfied with current development by government requesting the Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to reconstitute the Governing Council of the university.
The President, UTAG, Dr. Opoku Mensah in an interview with Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng on GBC’s Current Affairs Programme “BEHIND THE NEWS” believes the right decision has been made.
Dr. Opoku Mensah said UTAG wholly agrees to government decision to reinstate the Vice Chancellor of the university adding that UTAG members at KNUST will call off the indefinite strike, now that the Governing Council will be reconstituted.
For his part, the Chairman for the Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU), KNUST Branch, Charles Arthur has said that TEWU is dissatisfied with how the public is perceiving the incident and sympathizing with the students but are not ready to listen to the other parties.
He said they are happy that Otumfuo Osei Tutu has decided to establish a committee which will be independent to look into the matter.
Mr. Arthur stated that:, “the atrocities and brutalities that students are saying has been meted against them is actually a reverse that the students have rather treated our security and our people badly”.
He said the students are doing so to enrich their statement for pity.
The Chairman of TEWU said the union is waiting for the outcome of the investigations by the committee set by the Chancellor, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, to reveal the truth.
According to him, TEWU considered the government’s decision on the dissolution of the Governing Council as a coup d’état and is happy that the Governing Council will be reconstituted.
He added that the Pro- Vice Chancellor who was to take over from the Vice Chancellor had just resumed her office on October 3, 2018 therefore would not have been the best person to lead the institution.
Following the temporary removal of Prof Obiri-Danso and the dissolution of the KNUST Governing Council, The Ashanti Region Chapter of UTAG left lecture halls but has since called off its strike which was in protest.
In solidarity with UTAG, the members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU) at the KNUST also hit the streets on Monday to protest the dissolution of the school’s Governing Council.
BACKGROUND:
Government, on Monday, October 29, 2018, requested the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Otumfuo Osei Tutu to take steps to reconstitute the Governing Council of the university in accordance with the institutions statutes and relevant laws.
This was said in a statement signed and read by the Minister of Information Designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
He explained that the “Interim Council was dissolved because government holds it ultimately responsibility for the failure to adequately manage the internal matters of the university leading to a breakdown of law and order”.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah added that, “the interim measures were necessary to protect lives and properties”. According to the statement, the Reconstituted Council will take over from the Interim Council.
Also, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Obiri Nyarko had been asked by government to step aside before the chancellor, Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu was requested to reconstitute the Governing Council of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor was asked to hand over to the Pro-Vice Chancellor.
A seven-member initial interim committee was assigned to the university after the school was shut down indefinitely on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, as a result of a student’s protest which turned violent on Monday, October 22, 2018.
Representatives of the University Teacher’s Association (UTAG), and the Teacher’s and Education Workers Union (TEWU) were added to the interim Council. They insisted that the old council be instated.
The whole incident became brutal when some students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Monday, October 22, 2018, demonstrated against the school’s authorities over what they described as an unfair treatment meted out to them.
A number of vehicles and motorbikes belonging to the teaching and non-teaching staff were damaged; properties at the school including streetlights and glass doors at the main administration block were destroyed. Also, dustbins were destroyed, leaving piles of refuse scattered all over the campus.
Subsequently, over 20 students were arrested after they resorted to vandalizing public and private properties.
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has begun an assessment of the level of destruction caused by the students.
An earlier demonstration by the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Friday, 19th October 2018, led to the arrest of 10 students and one alumnus of the school on Friday.
The demonstration on Friday according to the SRC was necessary to end the management’s neglect of students in decision making. Some students were arrested for a holding vigil on campus on Friday without permission contrary to the rules of the university, according to the school authorities.
Story By: Nhyira Kwabi
