Minority Blasts Government Over KNUST Impasse

The Minority in Parliament has thrown its weight behind the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) following their strike action .

The teacher union has declared a strike alongside the Teachers & Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU) following the government’s dissolution of the governing council of the school and also asking the Vice Chancellor to step aside.

KNUST TEWU members demonstrate over governing council dissolution

The government says the school authorities must step aside for a seven-member interim committee it has appointed to man the affairs of the university and investigate fallouts between management and students that led to the latter’s violent demonstration which led to the destruction of the public and private property.

But pressure groups have criticised the decision and now the minority has slammed the government for its “interference in academic freedom”.

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu condemned the dissolution of the governing council of the school by the government .

“[We condemn] the unashamed attack and intrusion and invasion of academic freedom by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government,” Mr Iddrisu said.

“We declare our full support and express our unflinching solidarity for the striking and demonstrating unions of KNUST and all those associated with it can count on us that we stand on the side of justice and we want to commend UTAG…for standing up against oppressors’ rule,” he added.

The Minority is also worried that the interference from the government amounts to undermining the powers of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who is Chancellor for the university.

The Asante King had called for mediation talks between the university management and the students.

“We are concerned about how government kneejerk reaction has derailed the mediation efforts of the respected chancellor Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II…we, therefore, demand that government apologises to the revered King and Chancellor,” the Minority said.

They also want the government to “promptly accede to his demand of reinstating the governing council”.

The Minority has also demanded that Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof Kwesi Yankah be relieved of their positions since they publicly backed the decision to convert all single-sex halls of residence in the school to unisex.

“If Prof. Kwesi Obiri-Danso [VC] must be removed because of this policy and its implementation, then it stands to reason that the two Ministers of Education namely Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Prof. Kwesi Yankah who publicly endorsed the policy supervised, championed and praised its implementation should resign or be fired with immediate effect,” the Minority said.

Violent protests
Last Monday, students of KNUST embarked on a demonstration to protest what they describe as oppression from university management.

The students say recent policies of the management, are inimical to their interests and also, the personnel of campus security are abusing them.

The school has since been closed down indefinitely after the students vandalised school and private property during their demonstration. The government has, however, directed the interim council to reopen the school in 14 days.