Vice Chancellor must go! - KNUST students insist

A group calling itself Concerned Students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is intensifying calls for the dismissal or resignation of the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The group insists, Prof Kwasi Obiri Danso’s administration is appalling with students suffering under his autocratic leadership, a more reason why he must be relieved of his post.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Emmanuel Yiadom Boakye said “the concerned students have resolved that the failure of leadership from the university management is solely responsible for the unfortunate event of last Monday and calls for the V-C, Dean of students, head of security, university relations officer to be set aside for investigations and other relevant issues to continue.”

They believe the actions and inactions of these persons led to Monday’s protest and their continuous stay in office will not augur well for the university.

The group also wants an interim management body commissioned to take over the affairs of the university which has been indefinitely closed.

Although the group insists their action on Monday has nothing to do with the recent conversion of two single halls into mixed ones, they are demanding a reversal of the decision.

“The immediate cause of the demonstration on Monday was the brutalities meted on our students,” Boakye said.



Instead of building a wall around the school, the group wants university authorities to invest that money into building new halls for female students.

“We believe firmly that the bricks, blocks, strength, energy and funds used in building these walls could have been channelled in raising a very firm foundation for our next hall that could have accommodated all the females that the VC would have wanted to admit,” he added.

But National President of the University Teacher’s Association (UTAG) who has already condemned calls for the VC to be removed maintains it is not the place of the students or any other person to demand his sack or resignation.

“We think it is a call that should be made by the University Council,” Dr Eric Opoku said, adding that the VC was only acting on the orders of the Council.

The best way, for him, is to allow the Council to examine the issue since that is how university’s work but the calls for sack or resignation will not happen.

“The students are behaving as if they are not complicit in the matter and presenting themselves constantly as victims,” he said.

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