The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Education, Winneba, has said the violent demonstration by students which subsequently led to an indefinite shutdown of the school, was sponsored by some highly respected members of the community.
According to the SRC, the invisible persons were driven by their selfish desire to bring the name of the University into disrepute.
[contextly_sidebar id=”MbN0cPwqHzASMR1fYvirhCm4mZfgT8Z2″]Addressing the media on campus today, the acting SRC Vice President, Akudugu Issaka, condemned the position taken by the University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG in the matter.
“This position of ours is based on reliable and credible intelligence available to us, the council wish to state that upon what we witnessed, and interaction colleagues, students and examination of some footage from the event of the destruction, clearly pointing to hooliganism and highest level of lawlessness was done by some students of this noble university, with thugs from elsewhere and the tactic support and sponsor from some members of our highly respected community. Council hereby condemns the diabolic tactics adopted by these unseen hands to bring the name of the university into disrupt,” he said.
The school has been closed for nearly two weeks after a three-day protest by some students against the dismissal of some lecturers turned chaotic.
According to the alumni, the intimidation and wrongful dismissals are worrying.
The leader of the alumni, Victor Osei Agyapong, said: “the campuses will never sit without acting until we see the VC and the Council Chair out of their respective offices.”
UEW Vice Chancellor must resign over students’ protest – UTAG
Following what appears to be a leadership crisis at the University of Education Winneba, UTAG demanded the immediate resignation of Vice Chancellor, Rev. Prof. Anthony Afful Broni.
UTAG said the resignation of Prof. Afful Broni is the only remedy to the impasse at the University.
“The victimization and polarization on UEW campus are at variance with Nana Akufo-Addo’s charge that the VC should reconcile all functions regarding the impasse which existed before his investiture. As at now over 30 people have been sacked, suspended or demoted arbitrarily.”
“Having failed his assigned tasks, it is the considered position that Prof. Afful Broni should resign honourably to save the University of Education Winneba from further chaos. UTAG is demanding an unconditional reinstatement of all staff who have been dismissed, demoted or suspended,” Dr. Opoku Mensah added.
He also called on the Governing Council of UEW to be impartial as it works to resolve the impasse at the university.
In the past weeks, students of the school have taken to the streets to protest the dismissal of some lecturers.
The students threatened to boycott lectures while others vowed to continue their protests until the sacked lecturers are reinstated.
They said a senior lecturer at the school, Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong was let go because he was a key member of the former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mawutor Avoke’s team.
Background
The Winneba High Court in 2017 ordered Prof Avoke, to step aside until the case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council was determined.
The case brought before the court by one Supi Kofi Kwayera, who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer, were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.
The plaintiff argued that University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry failed to constitute a new Governing Council for the university and rather allowed the defunct Governing Council which had no mandate whatsoever to continue.
Supi Kofi Kwayera also alleged financial and procurement irregularities against Prof Avoke.
The court, in July 2017, then ordered Prof Avoke to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council was determined.
Also that July, Prof Avoke, along with four others; the Finance Officer, Dr. Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie; Daniel Tetteh, Mary Dzimey and Frank Owusu Boateng, were interdicted by the school after it emerged that some vital documents at some offices at the centre of an ongoing investigation had disappeared.
They were then found guilty of procurement and other financial irregularities in December 2017.
The irregularities had to do with the monies paid to the contractors of the North Campus Roads project.
In August 2018, the UEW governing council dismissed the five principal officers of the institution.
Prof. Afful Broni was subsequently inducted as the Vice-Chancellor of UEW.
Prof Avoke had maintained his innocence and successfully challenged his indictment in court.
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By: Farida Yusif |citinewsroom.com | Ghana
