Universities And Secondary Schools Could Be Heard Without Vandalism

I write with the mindset to shift the focus of our universities and secondary students from the use of violence means to press home their demands to instead use the lay down regulations of their school to resolve any issue of concern to them.

Media reportage in recent times has exposed some students of our universities and secondary schools using unapproved means such as violent demonstration in their engagements with school authorities

For any students especially university graduates to set aside the rules and regulations and measures to seek redress through the practice of an unhelpful and uncivilized approach of violence to be heard must be condemned outright with no apology.

Sadly I’m forced to cite Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology in Kumasi who has been in the media for the past one month simply by an act of defiance which i believe shouldn’t have come from that level of educational ladder.

i am told that the major reason for the students rampage instead of a peaceful demonstration was a decision by the school council led by Prof Vice Chancellor to convert the all-male hall known to a mixed hall.

Some also attribute the conflict to the actions of the school security official’s arbitrary detention of some alleged bad students on campus cells.

My question is as students of higher learning were that the best approach to resolve a conflict that has arisen out of tradition. I think the student’s leadership is fully aware that best conflict resolution mechanism do not include act of violence.

So they shouldn’t have gone on that tangent despite their claim to have exhausted all means within their powers to get listening ears of the school authorities to maintain the status quo they cherish.

Anyway, I’m biased on the use of violence to resolve conflicts and will always, everywhere and any time object any person, group or an institution that uses violence as a mean to seek redress or to catch the attention of authorities.

Therefore i add my voice to those who have been brave to condemn the actions of the students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology whose decision has brought the image of that prestigious university in to disrepute.

I am of the opinion that the SRC president of KNUST should immediately release an apology letter copied to all media houses to the school authorities, the chancellor, the vice chancellor and all stakeholders of that revered university on behalf of the students’ population

This is because his led administrations have conducted themselves in a manner that could best be described as misplaced priority which has featured the name of their university in the media for bad reasons.

Again i would also be confortable if the SRC president resigns his post based on the videotape released prior to the violent demo where he was seen urging his men for actions coupling with an attempt to defend that indefensible act on televisions networks afterwards.

In fact those who actively took part in that destruction on campus as captured by both international and national media about a month ago should bow their heads in shame.

Now, Though the purpose of this write up is not to name and shame the acts of modern day students vandalism since in the past some elite’ institutions have engaged themselves in similar activities with impunity, i have no option than to mention students of KNUST whose wrongdoing could not be curtailed by even the televisions cameras .

Not even the live radio and televisions commentaries calling national security on their activities could click them to stop causing damage to property on site. I see no reasons why aluminous and section of the political dive will have to struggle to support these students.

again It’s sad to note that these acts of vandalism have become the way students think could make them relevant, else I do not see the motivation for students who have sign declaration forms of their respective schools to abide by rules and regulation ever think of vandalizing school and other private properties as a demand for their human rights to be respected.

Readers will agree with me that some of this student’s vandalism gained grounds in the 80’s until 1996 there about when the sixth form was faced out. During those periods some schools in the country made their names not because of their academic performances but through act of vandalism.

In fact over the time such act of misconducts has been hailed by some elites just for political gains and nothing else resulting to some elected and appointed officers removed from posts just as the one that nearly befall on Prof. Obiri Danso of KNUST.

as far as, my memory serves me right, with the expectation of few all alma matar of secondary schools level were ‘big ‘names based on how seniors bullied juniors, throwing stones at lectures and stealing of their fowls, garden products and orange in the farms near by the schools . even that was just for the fun of it with no aggressive intentions attached as students who parents have visited and left them some pocket money wanted to jump walls to eat fufu found every reason to accuse matron food for that day being contaminated with last two semesters corn dough for the kenkey though when we had no money rushed to take dining seats when that same kenkey was on fire.

The one I’ms seeing this days involving destruction of vehicle belonging lectures is becoming too much and unacceptable.

I should be right to say that the example of KNUST influenced students of a secondary school in Volta North to destroy their school properties just because authorities has taken their mobile phones they were unlawfully keeping in their dormitories and charging same through illegal electricity connection, which we all know the dangers involved in doing so. That well intent and purpose decision to save students from being electrocuted and to get them concentrate on their books to pass their exams were met with a chase of the originating teacher of the idea from his bungalow.

There was also one such act of vandalism in one of the Ashanti -Akyem North schools against authorities because water was a problem.

Certainly we can’t support this as a country whose president is doing everything possible to make education accessible to all with the intentions of developing the human capital of its people. I therefore recommend never again should such a bad practice of students go unpunished.

Having dealt with the bad example let me take this opportunity to commend All Nations University in Koforidua and Mamfe Methodist Girls Senior High School in Akuapem for not following the bad examples but instead adopted actions that have raised the image of Ghana high in the international scenes for their ground breaking researches in the sciences.

To student’s leadership of universities you could become relevant if you follow the suit of all nations university in Koforidua in the eastern regions who did not take arms against school authorities for not providing them ‘all male hotels’ but shared the ‘mixed verandas’ with female partners but made used of their lectures directives that resulted in the ground breaking innovation in the field of space satellites.

Let me use this opportunity to thank the lectures of KNUST who resisted any attempt to sacrifice the vice chancellor in particular to pacify the students who have gone wrong and must be told in plan language or better still dismissed for those mass actions of destruction estimated to have cost over 2 billion Ghana Cedes.

Actually my thumps up for the lectures for showing to the students what they ought to have done by embarking on a peaceful demonstration to register their protest against the decision to take the vice chancellor off based on the actions of the students.

Again All other universities in Ghana may take a look at the bases for their establishment and demand same from authorities to increase teaching and learning materials to help them come out with workable research innovation to help build the nation’s instead of using violent demonstration to announce their presence.

David Fianko-Okyere
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