Akyena Calls For VC's Head
Author: Daily Guide - Daily Guide
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008
The former President of the Commonwealth Hall, made this call at a press conference in Accra.
Prof. Tagoe and the CID hierarchy, he announced, broke into his room in his absence, taking possession of his personal computer, books and many other personal documents.
Brantuo Benjamin termed the actions of the Ghana Police Service as a “detailed to commit the unlawful break-in and seizures.”
A bench warrant he said was fraudulently obtained for his arrest even before he could be officially invited by the police; this was the case in which he was detained for 16 days at the CID headquarters and a court attendance straddling over a year because of the allegation filed by Prof. Nii Boi Tagoe of death threats to him and over one thousand other lectures he worked with at the University of Ghana.
Pain and public ridicule he revealed was not only what he suffered but consequently lost a whole year in his academic career, yet noted he had no regrets.
For over a year now, he said, the Vice-Chancellor, the police and the other agents have not been able to clear the litany of allegations of death threats sponsored against him.
Brantuo, however, denied any form of criminal activities including threats on the life of any person or a group of persons, condemning the falsification and framing of death threats to people's lives as an excuse and a basis to win public sympathy, settle personal scores and divert attention from issues of the day.
The unlawful breaking into his room, the arrest and detention he noted has nothing to do with the pessimistic death threats to the lives of lectures on campus but was part of a grand scheme deliberately hatched to settle personal scores and exert vengeance for perceived long standing enmity.
He alleged that as president of the Commonwealth Hall JCR, debates were prearranged to protest of the in-out-out-out residential policy, but due to this the university authorities were not in favor of him.
Citing instances of corruption and unfair policies as some of the reasons, he affirmed that he always protested the unlawful intervention of the Vice-Chancellor in the Student Representative Council executive elections; especially that of 2006.
The massive public outcry against the rejection of the in-out-out-out residential policy, he said, waned and focuses on the debate for appropriate accommodation got shifted when Prof. Tagoe told the press that he and his lecturers have been threatened with death.
In reference to the mission statement of the university, the visitation panel report and the complete collapse of anything academic, students, he noted, are not well represented on the governance of the university.
“Students are not satisfied with the constitutional role of the dean of students and wish to represent themselves in discussions with the university authorities; we however recommend that the university introduces students' representation on the council as well as the academic board, the faculty boards and committees of these bodies as appropriate,” he added.
He however considered the report of the visitation panel on the finances of the university as a disgrace to anyone who has anything to do with the institution, captured in the part which states, “The investigation uncovered that the finance administration at the University of Ghana is in a very bad state and needs radical change.
“Again the financial administration of the university is a serious hindrance to the work of many of the faculties and other units of the university, damaging its teaching research and the student's experience, through inappropriate procedures and controls. It is very widely seen as secretive, unhelpful and damaging to the university. They recommended; the finance office should have new leadership at an early date. This is very likely to involve the recruitment of a new finance director.”
By Edna Akintonde
