Amnesty International explains stance on UEW brouhaha

The Director of Amnesty International, Ghana chapter, Mr Robert Akoto Amoafo, has questioned the conduct of the authorities of the University of Education Winneba (UEW) over their failure to address human rights abuses in the school but have rather chosen to engage in character assassination.

According to him, the school authorities had the opportunity to address human rights abuses levelled against them by Amnesty International but blatantly ignored the substantive issues and attacked personalities who raised such allegations.

Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE last Friday, Mr Amoafo said the group would not relent on their effort until those issues raised are brought to their logical conclusion.

“Of course, we have heard the Vice Chancellor of UEW making statements attacking and accusing personalities, but I did not see him address the blatant abuses of human rights and until that is done we are not stopping,” he stated.

Mr Amoafo said as an organisation guided by principles and values, they work as a team and therefore cannot phantom the reason why the school authorities are personalising the issues.

“I am aware; I edited the press statement, gave clearance that the press conference should be held and signed the invitation letters to invite the media into the press conference.”

The director said “as human rights advocate, the issues raised are human rights abuses and apart from that we are not interested in any other matter. We are arguing based on principles of human right abuses so if anybody have issues with that they must first resolve them.”

He said “when we say Ghana has signed for the human rights principles at the international level it is not only for discussions, but goes beyond schools, traders selling in the market, teachers in the school and others but what matters is to raise these abuses for people to address.

Mr Amoafo called the bluff of the university authorities to petition the international body, Amnesty International, about the conduct of the Ghana chapter, adding that Amnesty International, Ghana is an entity with its own board and therefore no other entity could be involved in its activities.

“We are a section, which means that we have our own board and if we approve of something, no other body can stop our activities and it is the board and the director who have the power to make decisions at the country level,” he stated.