The National Executive Council of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it will not recognise the interim governing council of KNUST, and consequently declared decisions from the body will be rejected.
National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Seth Boadi Kusi told Onua FM Friday that the approach adopted by this government in the crisis will not bring the peace, noting the Ministry of Education should have been careful in selecting the people who constituted the interim council.
“We will not accept any decision of the IMC because the processes were not fair. The processes must be fair and if the processes are not fair, it will not bring peace because others will not accept it,” he declared.
Disagreement between the student body and management of the university culminated into a violent protest last Monday leading to destruction of property by the agitating students who have accused the university management of arbitrariness and disregard for their rights.
The violent event which started from last Friday forced the Ashanti Regional Security Council to close down the university.
Government on Thursday dissolved the government council of the university based on the recommendation of its fact-finding delegation led by the Education Minister which held discussions with the feuding party last Tuesday.
An interim governing council chaired by the Paramount Chief of Bompata Traditional Area, Nana Effa Apenteng has been put in place to run the university for the next three months.
As part of its mandate, is to ensure the university reopens within 14 days for academic work to resume.
UTAG KNUST has since Thursday condemned the move by the government which it described as politically influenced.
“UTAG-KNUST …wishes to state emphatically that it does not accept this interim arrangement by Government and insist on Government allowing the Act and Statutes of the University to work,” it said in its statement.
Commenting on the issue Friday on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa, Dr. Kusi said the composition of the interim council is skewed as it did not have the Vice chancellor Prof. Obiri Danso as a member.
He cricitised the fact that the SRC was made a part of the interim council, while the VC was left out, noting it clearly smacks mischief
Dr. Kusi said the National Executives of UTAG support the stance taken by its members at the KNUST, saying “we support the position of the KNUST UTAG. Why should the student rep be part of the IMC and the Vice Chancellor is out?”
In his view, the current situation will only fuel the perception that the government wants the vice chancellor out.
The secretary said there is no way the interim council will be independent in ensuring that the impasse is resolved.
“Do you think this committee put together will be independent? I don’t think so. We could have still maintained the existing council so that the perception that the Vice Chancellor should be out will not be fuelled”, he explained.
Crunch meeting
Meanwhile, the National Executive of UTAG is meeting today to take a decision on the dissolution of the governing council and the composition an interim one as well as other matters arising out of the impasse at the KNUST.
“We shall have a meeting today. We are converging at the KNUST today and we shall communicate to the public our decision but as it stands now, UTAG does not accept the decision by the government” Dr. Kusi said.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news|Ghana