Impeachment hearing against UG SRC President adjourned

The commencement of an impeachment trial targeting President of the Students Representative Council of the University of Ghana, Isaac Agyemang, has been adjourned to Saturday, March 7, 2020.

It was initially scheduled for Saturday, February 29, 2020.

The trial is being spearheaded by a group of students who are accusing Isaac Agyemang of breaching more than five obligatory constitutional functions.

The students, led by counsel Daniel Nkrumah are citing chapter 5 of the SRC constitution as grounds upon which they are proceeding with an impeachment suit against the SRC president.

Chapter five of the SRC constitution outlines grounds for the removal of an officer of the SRC from office.

Article 23 specifically states that such a person may be removed if he/she is found;

“To have acted in violation of the oath of office set out in the first or second schedule to, or in violation of this constitution; or To have conducted himself in a manner; Which brings or is likely to bring the high office of President or Vice president or Secretary or Treasurer, into disrepute, ridicule or contempt; or Prejudicial or inimical to the interests of students; or To be incapable of performing the functions of his office by reason of infirmity of body or mind or To have embezzled funds or recklessly handled the finances of the SRC or To be inefficient or negligent in the discharge of his/her duties” In an interview with Daniel Nkrumah, he categorized the SRC President’s wrongdoings into two.

“The constitutional irregularities that the president has done are categorized in two folds; (1) specific constitutional duties of his office that he failed to perform and (2) financial misapplication from his office,” he said

Daniel Nkrumah further explained that having neglected those obligatory responsibilities, the president had breached the oath of office that he swore before assuming office and hence exposed himself to undergo impeachment.

“In law, we have what is regarded as obligatory function. If you read the provision, and you look at the things that he was supposed to perform, it is found that there are more than five obligatory functions that he failed to perform and the performance of those duties go to the core of his office and is also in breach of the oath of his office that he swore. And so looking at what has happened, we are saying that it amounts to grounds for impeachment,” he added.