Protest hits Wa over collapse of Wa UDS campus

A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Upper West Region have berated political leaders in the region, especially the eleven MP’s for showing gross indifference and silence in the struggle to reverse a decision by authorities of the University for Development Studies ( UDS) to move several courses that are run at the Wa campus of the school to the Tamale campus under a so-called realigned of programmes.

The group which embarked on a massive demonstration on 3 November to register their displeasure at the realignment policy of the University saw scores of young people across political, religious and ethnic divide participating in the protest.

A convener of the group Awudu Ishaq said the move by the UDS authorities is a calculated and deliberate attempt at weakening, crippling and collapsing the Wa campus and to deprive it of attaining autonomy.

They marched through the principal streets of Wa hoisting placards with inscriptions like: ‘thank you, Mr. President, ‘Professor Amin, be warned’, ‘the discrimination must stop’, ‘autonomy now’, and upper ‘westerners rise up’.

The group thanked traditional leaders in the region for their zeal in the struggle for the reversal of the realignment policy but chided the political leadership for their indifference.

Mr. Ishaq said ‘’patronage of the demonstration was high and cut across the political, religious and ethnic divide, an indication that we have the vision to fight and advocate for the betterment of our dear region.”

He added ‘’in all of this, the ordinary citizens of the region deserve loads of commendations and applause. The Chiefs and Tendamba have been very instrumental in this struggle. “

Some graduating students of the Wa Campus of UDS have indicated of a possible boycott of the 19th congregation of the school which was slated to take place on November 10 at Wa but was moved to Tamale.