KNUST: Govt insists on not entertaining old members on new council
The government is insisting that it does not expect any of the old council members of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to be part of the new one.
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The old council, according to Mr Oppong Nkrumah was part of the impasse, adding “Just as the actions of students, student’s leaders and school management will be subjects of the full investigation when the University is re-opened, so will the actions and inactions of the old council be subject of that investigation.”
Below are members of the old council
The four (4) government representatives were
Prof Emeritus Kwame Sarpong, Chairman Govt rep
Dr O.K. Kankam Govt rep
Dr C.K. Boadu Govt rep
Mrs Abena Antwi Govt rep
Others (11)Vice Chancellor - Prof Kwasi Obiri Danso - Vice Chancellor
Convocation (Professorial) - Prof J Ayarkwa
Convocation (Non professorial) - Dr I. Dadzie
NCTE (National Council for Tertiary Education) -Dr E. Baffoe Bonnie
UTAG (University Teachers Association of Ghana) - Prof E.K. Fokuo
Alumni - Ms Eunice Akosua Amoako
CHASS - Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools - Alhaji Y.A.B. Abbubakar
TEWU - Tertiary and Education Workers Union - Mr Charles Arthur
GRASSAG - Graduate Students Association of Ghana - Mr A. Poku-Adu
SRC - Students Representative Council - Kevin Sah
Registrar [Secretary to the Council] - A.K. Boateng
The new council was expected to be inaugurated last Friday but there was no show.
Related: UTAG, unions blame govt for KNUST new council inauguration delay
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra Monday morning, he said specific persons who constituted that council “cannot preside over the matters in which their own decisions and conduct will be a subject,”.
“It is in this spirit that government and some other groups have already indicated new nominees,” he said.
KNUST
On October 22, this year, there was an outbreak of violence and destruction of property following a demonstration of students of KNUST campus in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
Following that, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) took a decision to shut down the university and also imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the university campus.
The students, who went on a peaceful demonstration against the ‘tyrannical’ style of the university administration, turned violent, leading to the massive destruction of property worth about Ghc1.7million.
Read also: KNUST students riot: Gh¢1.7million needed to repair
The demonstration was also intended to express grave concern over the use of force by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kwasi Obiri Danso, to cow them into submission.
Before the demonstration, 11 students of the University Hall (Katanga) who had participated in the usual entertainment programme (otherwise called moral session) of the hall on Friday, October 19 were allegedly brutalised and arrested by the university’s internal security men and handed over to the KNUST Police Station, where they were detained.
Moral sessions are processions of students, usually on campus, amid singing and dancing, and are very common with the all-male halls of residence.
Read also: Expect
Government stand
In the matter of group seats on
“The principles of specific persons who will end up becoming judges in their own cause is what government disagrees with. It is precisely to resolve this disagreement that the chancellor is taking leadership in engaging with all nominating groups,” he said.
Though the interim council was given up to three months, Mr Nkrumah said the government’s subsequent assessment was that it could hand over the university and all emergency measures taken to a new council, earlier than expected, “if one is agreed upon and inaugurated as soon as possible”.
“Government has indicated its new members for the KNUST council. It is our understanding that two other groups (CHASS and NCTE) have also done so” he said.
Mr Nkrumah said it was the expectation of the government that once the office of the chancellor received the full complement of names, the office would refer them to the appointing authority, the president, for the next step.
“Next steps are
Related: Otumfuo kicks against KNUST council dissolution - Sources
