The Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has stated that any student who participates in the organisation of what is termed as ‘morale’ and/or ‘procession’ shall be summarily dismissed.
The Council has also suspended indefinitely, Hall Week and SRC Week Celebrations on campus.
These are among six other measures taken by the Council after investigating the recent clash between between students resident in University Hall (Katanga) and Unity Hall (Continental).
The riot, which was said to have resulted from attempts by students of Unity Hall to restrain colleagues from University Hall from using their frontage in a procession, took place on August 18, 2022.
A number of cars parked in front of Conti were damaged by the feuding students. The clash left three vehicles damaged.
Three persons are currently in police custody, while 61 others are being sought after.
A statement dated August 26, signed by the Registrar/Secretary to Council of KNUST, Mr. A.K. Boateng said, “COUNCIL of the University at an EMERGENCY MEETING held on Friday, 26th August, 2022, among others, discussed the Report of a Fact-Finding Committee, constituted by the Executive Committee of the University, following the recent disturbances arising from the Hall Week Celebrations of the University Hall.”
According to the statement took the following decisions to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident:
- With effect from the 2023/2024 Academic Year, the Junior Common Room (JCR) System of Hall Management by students, is ABOLISHED. This means, there would be no Students’ elections for hall executives. The existing governance structure comprising Hall Councils, Hall Masters and Senior Tutors, would continue to operate in the management of the affairs of the Halls. In addition, Hall Fellows will be appointed and assigned to floors/blocks of the Halls to exercise direct supervision over matters affecting students. In the meantime, Hall Week and SRC Week Celebrations have been SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY.
- Any student who participates in the organisation of ‘morale’ and/or ‘procession’ shall be SUMMARILY DISMISSED.
- Any student/students who is/are caught to be harbouring dismissed, rusticated, withdrawn student(s) and/alumnus/alumna in his/her room in any of the Halls of Residence on Campus, shall be sanctioned, appropriately.
- Students who indulge in any act which will warrant dismissal, will have their names and pictures widely published in the National Dailies and on the University Website;
- Students who are rusticated for various offences will have their names and pictures published internally for the attention of the University Community.
- Council vehemently condemned the recent disturbances and supported the ongoing investigations by the Ghana Police Service and the University Authorities. It was the decision of Council that any person/student found culpable should be dealt with according to the rules of the University and those requiring further prosecution by the State should be handed over to the Police.”
The KNUST Council expressed its gratitude to members of the Ashanti Regional Security Council for the support in addressing the situation.
“We express our profound gratitude to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Inspector-General of Police, the Regional Police Commander, and the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, for the professional role they played in helping to restore calm and tranquility on the University campus,” the statement concluded.
