The University of Education, Winneba has been shut down indefinitely following a third day of student protests against the school’s Vice-Chancellor.
The Central Regional Security Council announced the closure of the school after visiting the campus on Thursday morning.
[contextly_sidebar id=”hNuxcKJR9uTVXBacml4MBeFZDdsZdHZ9″]The Central Regional Minister, Kwamina Duncan told the media “on the advice of the Regional Security Council, we cannot allow the university to be in session.”
“Our report is this: every passing day, the level of insecurity increases or escalates,” the minister added.
In the course of the three days of protests, buildings and vehicles have had their windows shattered.
Students also blocked roads and burned tiers amid the protests.
The students say there is a leadership crisis at the school have been demonstrating demanding the reinstatement of some sacked lecturers
Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse protesting students this morning.
The students in retaliation pelted stones at the police leaving at least one officer injured.
A police reinforcement team was sent from Accra this morning to restore calm on campus.
Why are students angry?
Students claim the Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni is trying to sabotage the school by sacking the lecturers.
Those dismissed include local University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) president, Dr. Frimpong Kakyire Duku.
A senior lecturer popular with the students, Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, also had his appointment terminated.
The students’ protests have been backed by UTAG, which has called the sackings baseless.
The National President of UTAG, Dr. Eric Opoku Mensah in a Citi News interview insisted that there was an attempt to subdue UTAG’s presence in the school.
Dr. Mensah said UTAG was “happy about the decision the students have taken and we support them because they have to save this university from further deterioration.”
“We as a national body do not recognise that decision that has been taken by the leadership of this university and therefore, UTAG together with other stakeholders are going to do whatever is necessary to make sure that justice prevails in this university,”
Backlash from MPs
Some MPs have also voiced concern with Prof. Afful-Broni’s methods.
The Minority Spokesperson on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has accused the Vice-Chancellor of blowing over GHc 5.7 million on transportation and honorarium in just six months.
Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who has been very vocal on the school’s affairs, called on Prof. Afful-Broni to resign.
“Afful-Broni was supposed to do [more], but he has failed. I am sure that in the next few days if he has a conscience, he will resign and leave the university because he has failed the University. Afful-Broni has failed the University; he has misled all of us – that is a matter of fact. Mistakes of the past shouldn’t be repeated,” he said on Monday.
Another school shutdown
Student protests at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) escalated into rioting that led to the temporary closure of the university in October 2018.
The demonstrations were in protest of the arrest of 10 students and one alumnus of the school.
The students were arrested for a holding vigil on campus without permission according to the school authorities.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of school led the protests, which were also to convey student discontent with the management of the school.
Since then, the Dean of Students at the school, Professor William Akanwariak Gariba resigned.
A committee has also been set up to probe the incident.
The terms of reference of the committee are to investigate the outbreak of violence on the campus and to determine all the circumstances both immediate and remote leading to it.
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By: citinewsroom.com | Ghana
