KNUST students boycott lectures in protest against brutalities

The Student Executive Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in joint forces with the School’s Student Representative Council (SRC) Parliamentary Council and all student leaders have declared a boycott of lectures to register their displeasure against the school’s authorities in the light of recent events which has seen students being manhandled by the University’s security personnel.

The signed communique which has been sighted by MyNewsGh.com is captioned ‘ACTION NOW, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ and explains that 22nd October 2018, the student body is boycotting all lectures on campus and are embarking on a demonstration as they have had enough of student brutalities.

Earlier, the SRC in a differently signed communique called for calm among the student body as they work to address the scores of brutalities suffered at the hands of the University’s security.

They defined the actions of the University’s security personnel as a gross deviation from their core mandate as they are to ensure the protection of properties and welfare of students.

They called on the student body to register their displeasure with them especially those that have lately suffered some of these despicable brutalities at the hands of the Securities as they seek to exhaust all available channels to make sure the culpable security personnel are brought to book.

The communique ended with a Bolden note, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

It is unclear why they have resorted to embark on the demonstration in its latest development but our sources reveal that the authorities of the school are blocking the channels to hear the concerns of the Student’s Executive Council hence, their resort to demonstrating and boycotting lectures.

They have also started a social media campaign to impress on President Akufo-Addo to relieve Prof. Obiri Danso off his post as the School’s Vice-Chancellor.

Background

The School’s security on Friday [19th October 2018] pounced on unarmed students who were having a peaceful vigil at the forecourt of the hall in protest of management’s freeze on “morale”, a usual Friday night jamboree in all the halls at the school.

The University in a communique signed and posted both the Continental Hall and University Hall Management asked the student body to cease their usual ‘Friday Night Morale’ as the school has suspended the activity.

The notice read “Notice is hereby given that all forms of “morales” in and around the University Hall are suspended with immediate effect. This decision was taken in view of several negative issues encountered recently with respect to morales in the hall. Any person who flouts this directive shall receive the necessary sanction and response”.

Angel FM’s Nanayaw Amagyei who was at the school at the time of the incident told MyNewsGh.com that , school security numbering over 20 and armed to the teeth who said they were “only carrying out an order”, pounced on the students who had gathered at the forecourt and singing dirges, arrested seven and brutalized them with canes and stun guns unprovoked.

The rampaging security men, escorted by some officers of the KNUST Police accosted the journalist (Nana Yaw Amagyei) who was filming the students at the vigil and ceased his video camera, before unleashing the attack on the unsuspecting students, after being convinced that there was no camera or recorder in hand to record their deeds.

The said camera is still in the custody of the KNUST security as at the time of filing this story.

An alumnus of the hall, whose name was not immediately known but nicknamed as “Ashaina”, who was present at the time of the attack is also in the custody of the Tech Police after been brutalized and whisked away in a security van alongside seven students.

One student who was singled-out and chased till he was caught by the marauding security personnel is battling for his life at the University Hospital, after sustaining severe injuries and shocks, dragged on the floor and kicked till he collapsed. The authorities of the school are yet to make any statement on the matter.