The news team of successafrica.info have sighted a video purporting the misleading posture of the students front (SRC) prior to the unprecedented protest staged by students of the university over what they describe as an unfair treatment meted out to colleague students by the internal security of the university.
The SRC in a communique informed students of the university to put their tools down and hit the streets to register their displeasure over an alleged autocratic style of leadership by management of the university.
The students front aggressively led the students for a ‘peaceful’ demonstration which resulted in the vandalism of both private and public property. An estimation of the worth of property vandalised is pegged at Gh¢ 1.7m.
A curfew was imposed from 6pm on Monday 22nd October, through to 6am on Tuesday 23rd October. The university was subsequently closed indefinitely following an agreement between the council of the university and the Ashanti Regional Security Council.
The SRC is misleading Students
We have monitored an interview granted by the SRC President of the institution, Master Kevin Sah on Metro TV which suggests Kevin is having double standards per his statement on the consolidation of accounts at the state of the SRC address at the IDL Conference Centre.
Kevin in an interview on Metro TV said there has been oppression and intimidation from the administration of the university, decisions are been taken without the concern of Students’ leaders and added students’ leaders are no more signatories to their own accounts due to the consolidation of accounts by the school’s administration which is making it cumbersome for leaders in execution of their administrative functions.
“The oppression and intimidation from the administration, decisions are been taken without the consent or approval of students leaders, there were times students’ leaders used to be signatories to their own accounts and our accounts are our resources, the SRC is not a signatory to it but the dean of students and so what it means is to go through the dean to get your accounts approved. So if the deans posture is not in favour of what it is, then your power is not there”- he said on Metro TV
The statement looks different as communicated to students during the state of the SRC address earlier this semester. Kevin’s posture looked like he welcomed the decision to consolidate the accounts as he began to once again throw dust into the eyes of parliamentarians and other students gathered. He said the SRC had the opportunity to be in a meeting with the Ministry of Finance where the decision to consolidate accounts was taken. This clearly suggest that, that has not been the decision of the university authorities but a directive from the Ministry of Finance.
Consolidation of Accounts
” This is one thing that keeps our parliamentarians not smiling. During the vacation, we had the opportunity to be in a meeting at the ministry of finance and it was made clear there that in conformance to National policy, all institutions are supposed to have a centralised account for effective monitoring of funds, so in that effect, the university even has all of its accounts consolidated and ends up affecting all students associations and so a meeting was held last thursday to explain to them on how that policy would run and I think it is sinking well, isn’t it?” – he quizzed after making the revelation.
It looks very challenging finding the truth among the two statements made by the SRC President.
VC and Dean of Students engaged SRC Executives prior to the demonstration.
Another revelation made also suggests that the Vice Chancellor, Professor Obiri Danso , the Dean of students, Professor Williams Garibah met the SRC executives at the Vice Chancellor’s residence on Saturday 20th October around 10pm to look at how the issue at hand could be dealt with. That was before the SRC released the communique to inform students about the demonstration on Sunday.
Sources say, the wife of the Vice chancellor had just returned home from a trip abroad. She gave soft drinks to the SRC executives, though it was supposed to be given to the Dean of students.
Efforts to reach consensus at the said meeting proved futile and it was rescheduled for 12pm on Monday, the exact day students staged protest. Unfortunately the meeting could not come off because of the absence of the vice chancellor. The meeting was supposed to take place, same day at exactly 2pm but the trigger had already been pulled.
Authorities are however shocked to be told students’ leaders have been sidelined. It believes it’s a fabricated story by unknown individuals who only seek to apportion blame on school management over the recent impasse.
Another revelation made by successafrica.info also suggests that when the executives went to Focus Fm studio, they said they were only going to read their scripted document and will not answer any questions from the host, Master Boakye Nyamekye Isaac, a former SRC President.
The treasurer of the SRC, Gabriel Mensah pushed the host of the program in the heat of the argument. Presenters were shocked at the attitude of the SRC executives hence gave the platform to the President to address the students without answering questions that have come through for him during the program
Watch the video below on the consolidation of accounts.
More to come…
Story by: Robert Kumi Adu-Gyamfi/ Successafrica.info
