SRC of UCC calls on students to stay calm

The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has called on students of the University to remain calm following the rustication of the 22 students.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Tony Henry Arthur, SRC President assured the students that the Council was using all available internal resolution processes and mechanisms to resolve the matter.
He said though the university as an administrative body had powers to sanction students, its decisions were always subject to review.
Mr Arthur said the Vice Chancellor has also promised to review all “reasonable petitions” by those affected.
“I want to use this opportunity to entreat all students to be calm. I am calling on all those calling for ‘aluta’, those calling for removal of people from office and those blaming others on social media to cease for the sake of peace and smooth resolution,” he said.
The reaction by the SRC followed a decision by the university authorities to rusticate 22 students who after investigations cited them for their involvement in a clash between students of the university, University of Ghana (UG) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in March this year.
While some students were suspended for two semesters, others received a four semester rustication terms from the school.
A “Notice of Rustication” issued by the university read: “The following students have with effect from the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic year been rusticated from the University for the periods indicated against their names for roles played in the Disturbances at the Oguaa Hall on Friday, 17th March, 2017, during the 2017 ATLANTIC HALL WEEK celebrations.”
It could be recalled that violence between students of the University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Friday March 17 led to severe injuries to three students as well as the extensive destruction of properties.
The University authorities constituted an eight member committee to investigate the incident and accordingly recommended disciplinary action.
The committee said the other 21 students made up of JCRC executives and the Planning Committee members showed disregard to University authorities and were negligent in their duties, thus leading to non-compliance with directives from the Dean of Students.
Some old students of Atlantic Hall took the matter to law courts and on Tuesday an interim injunction restraining university authorities from preventing the 22 students from writing the end of semester examination, was granted.
The court ruled that UCC should further refrain from interfering in any way whatsoever with the academic work of the students.
GNA

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