Apologise to Legon Authorities - Old Vandals To Vandals

IN A MOVE to break the impasse between Commonwealth Hall Junior Common Room(JCR) members, known as the Vandals, and the authorities of the University of Ghana, the National Executive of the Old Vandals Association (OVA) has asked the JCR to render an unqualified apology by 5:00pm today to the Chancellor, the Chairman of the University Council, the Vice-Chancellor and the University administration, Hall authorities and the entire membership of OVA.

At a meeting last Thursday held at the Senior Common Room of Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, the National Executive expressed concern over recent events of Commonwealth Hall, culminating in the imposition of various sanctions against the JCR members.

The Executive stressed the need to ensure discipline, decency and respect for authority in the Hall, the University of Ghana as well as other institutions of learning.

In a resolution signed and issued by Kwesi Essel-Koomson, national president, Razak El-Alawa, Greater Accra Regional President, and Africanus Owusu-Ansah, national secretary, the Executive stated that they felt disconcerted and disillusioned that against good counsel, the JCR decided to flout the university regulations by going on an unauthorised demonstration at which there was reportedly resort to unacceptable behaviour that included the use of unprintable language on innocent lecturers, as well as the blocking of the Hall's administration offices thereby preventing the personnel from carrying out their legitimate functions.

The Executive noted that they did initiate and did attend a meeting between themselves and members of the JCR in the Hall's Dining Room last Tuesday in a bid to resolve the impasse between the JCR and the University authorities.

According to them, at the meeting, the JCR members were specifically advised to render through their executive an unqualified apology to the Hall and University authorities for their inability to prevent unidentified persons from using the Vandal's Day celebrations to do acts they themselves repulsed.

It was further disclosed that the Old Vandals Association had with great effort, obtained the Vice-Chancellor's consent to discuss the issue at his office this Wednesday and that ipso facto the JCR should refrain from doing acts that would wittingly or unwittingly prejudice and compromise the Old Vandals' position at the meeting.

The Executive stated that they had the unshaken conviction that the University authorities, in loco parentis, would graciously reconsider the sanctions which were imposing untold hardships on the Hall members.

It was, therefore, to their shock and dismay that the JCR members went on the demonstration against their good counsel.

Meanwhile, the OVA members have stated that should the JCR fail to heed to their demand, they would decide on their next line of action "that sufficiently demonstrates our traditional abhorrence of, and aversion to, untoward behaviour".

They are meeting with the Vice-Chancellor this Wednesday to discuss the stand-off between the students of the Hall and the University authorities.