The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) chapter of the Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has declared an indefinite strike over the dissolution of the school’s governing council by the government.
The Association in a statement copied to citinewsroom.com said it is “deeply stunned” by the government’s decision to dissolve the governing council.This comes a few hours after lecturers of KNUST also declared a strike over the matter.
The administrators in their statement said they will not recognise the interim council and “so reject it.”
They explained that the government could not dissolve the previous council over the recent misunderstandings on the campus especially as the University Act and Statuses had provisions that detailed what actions to take in events such as what was experienced.
Read the statement below:
“The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), KNUST branch, is deeply stunned by the Government’s decision to dissolve the Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi as part of measures to address the impasse in the University by establishing an interim Council.”
“We believe that the University Act and Statutes provide an adequate mechanism to deal with the impasse. We, therefore, do not recognise the Interim Council and so reject it outright. GAUA insists on the restoration of the dissolved Governing Council of the University.
We, therefore withdraw our services with immediate effect until the restoration of the Council.”
The government on Thursday constituted an interim University council after it dissolved the previous one following a high-level meeting it held with all stakeholders in the Ashanti Region over the impasse between the University Authorities and students that led to a violent protest by the students earlier on Monday.
The government said the interim council will be chaired by the Paramount Chief of Bompata Traditional Area, Nana Effa Apenteng for the 3-month period it has been given to serve.
The new council is also expected to expedite the reopening of the university.
The government’s statement in justifying the need for the new interim governing council said the council was “not in a position to review its own processes and decisions affecting the student body to guarantee peace.”
But the local chapter of UTAG in a statement signed by its President, Prof. Eric K. Fokuo, indicated that it is opposed to the dissolution as it “frowns on the autonomy of the University and smacks of political interference.”
It also wondered why the government failed to resort to the existing Act and Statutes in resolving the issue. Some reports have suggested that the national association is also against the decision, and may hold an emergency meeting on Friday in that regard.
During the protest, over 40 private cars belonging to lecturers were damaged by the rampaging students.
Background
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) led the demonstration following the arrest of 10 students and one alumnus of the school.
The Executive Council of the SRC said the demonstration was necessary to end the management’s neglect of students in decision making.
The students were arrested for a holding vigil on campus without permission according to the school authorities.
One other student who was allegedly manhandled by the internal security was hospitalised.
The KNUST management, however, justified the arrests, after the students were released on Saturday.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
The post KNUST administrators declare strike over dissolution of governing council appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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