The Destructions At KNUST Must Stop!

Reports reaching the Ghanaian Times indicate that students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) yesterday went on a rampage and destroyed property on the campus.

The students were said to have embarked on demonstration following what they described as "heavy handedness" from the university authorities.

Our information is that the students on Friday night decided to embark on their routine ritual known also as "Moral" where they sing and drum on campus in the evening

This activity, we were told, did not receive the blessings of the university authorities who had earlier posted notices banning it. The student allegedly defied the order.

The authorities were said to have sent the security men after the students who brutalised and locked up 11 of them.

This action, according to our source, incensed the students who went on rampage, destroying properties running into millions of cedis.

These are not pleasant stories coming from one of our foremost universities. The destructions and the chaos on the campus are needless and must cease immediately.

We acknowledge that there has been tension between the university authorities and the students since two male halls, Unity Hall and Katanga Hall were converted into mixed halls at the beginning of the academic year, but no one expected it to degenerate into this level of destruction.

It is unacceptable for the university authorities to descend heavily on the students and it is equally unwarranted for the student to respond by destroying properties on campus.

The destructions and damage to properties run into millions of cedis, and perhaps the brutalisation may also cost a lot but both cases are not right.

The Ghanaian Times is not in the position to assess the cost of destruction and damage caused but certainly the resources needed to repair some of the things destroyed could have been used to fund other useful activities on campus.

We urge for calm and call on the government, the university authorities, students' leadership as well as the old students association to intervene to bring the situation under control.

It is most unfortunate that the situation on campus has degenerated to this level but we believe that dialogue can resolve all the issues.

The situation on campus is unhealthy and the earlier steps are taken to bring the situation under control, the better.

The university authorities must also soften their stand in their dealings with the students and the students in the same spirit must desist from that violent demonstration which is not going to yield any result.

The disturbances must stop to pave way for peaceful dialogue for academic work to continue.

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