...As They Threaten 'Aluta' Over Travel Embargo
Some students of Commonwealth Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon have begun arming themselves with offensive weapons, such as guns and machetes, in a potential bust-up with university authorities over a travel embargo slapped on them for acts of indiscipline and indecent exposure.
Chronicle can reveal that the students are at daggers drawn over refusal of the university to authenticate visa and passport application forms to facilitate foreign trips embarked on by students at the end of every semester.
The students, Chronicle investigations can reveal are gnashing their teeth at what one of them called 'arrogance of power' on the part of the authorities and are as a result arming themselves with offensive weapons as they await the end of a two-week ultimatum they have given the university to react.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. E. K. E. Amuzu, defended the authorities'action, but denied knowledge of the looming unrest when he spoke to Chronicle yesterday.
Ditto, Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah explained in an interview with Chronicle yesterday that the decision to sanction the students of Commonwealth Hall was taken by the hall authorities and only endorsed by the university.
He said the sanction is indefinite, adding that the university is under no obligation to assist students who want to embark on private trips unless the programme has been approved.
Chronicle has learnt that as part of the annual inaugural ceremony of the new 'Chief Vandal', some students of the hall strip themselves naked, ramble in the hall for some hours and debar female visitors from entering the hall the whole day.
Having had a field day for years, some students of the hall last semester allegedly transcended the boundary of the hall with their body stark naked and entered the Volta Hall (female hall), amid drumming and dancing.
The university authorities did not take any punitive action against those students because they were oblivious of this act.
Chronicle gathered that the authorities of the hall as well as the university later got wind of it.
Following this, Professor Addae-Mensah issued a directive to senior members of the hall tasking them to identify and provide the names of deviant students for punitive action to be taken against them.
The student leadership unequivocally denied knowledge and asked the university to pinpoint the erring students involved.
As a result, the Vice-Chancellor, who was upset by the students' stance over the matter, slapped a travel embargo on all the students of the hall from travelling outside the country through the university.
Chronicle learnt that he issued a fiat to all the officials of the university not to write or sign any introductory letter to the Passport Office or the Embassies on behalf of any student, accusing the students of behaving in a manner that will denigrate and degrade the name of the university both nationally and internationally.
When Chronicle contacted the Junior Common Room (JCR) President-elect, Mr Kofi Acheampong, he conceded that the students are enraged by the uncompromising position of the authorities over the matter but have decided to use diplomacy to resolve the issue.
He however said if their diplomatic manoeuvre backfires then the students would advise themselves.
Even though he expressed ignorance about the clandestine possession of offensive arms among some of the students, he did not rule that out, saying there is much anger, especially among those who have already spent thousands of dollars for swap programmes abroad.
Mr Acheampong appealed to the government to intervene in the matter before it escalates to an unimaginable proportion.
The students further accused the university authorities of using the alleged incident as subterfuge to punish the hall for the instrumental role they always play in defending students' rights in the country.
Chronicle gathered that the university has refused to sign an attestation letter to the former members of the hall who were not members of the hall at the time when the alleged act of indecency was committed.
