RE: Petition to disqualify Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare from contesting Pro-Vice Chancellor in KNUST

We are a group of students from KNUST pursuing various degrees and we are of the strong view that the elections for a Pro-Vice Chancellor in KNUST is solely carried out among staff of the University and students are not involved.

However, our attention has been drawn to a publication by some faceless group of people circulated on ghanaweb.com and Mynewsgh.com who call themselves Concerned Students of KNUST calling on the University to disqualify Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare who is the current Dean of Students of our institution.

Therefore, we Coalition of Students Against Impunity (which consists of both former and current student leaders who worked with him would like to rebut the unfounded claims by these purported students of KNUST. We believe that all the noble Professors contesting for the Pro-Vice Chancellor position are of high repute and no falsehood claims by any purported students of KNUST should be allowed to drag their hard earned reputation through the mud.

We categorically debunk the allegations against the committed and dedicated Dean of Students of this great university as follows;

a. Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare cannot be held responsible for the impasse that took place on our campus on any grounds as there is no committee indicting him for same. We are all aware of the reasons students gave for the unfortunate incident on the said date on our campus where the noble Professor was not at the center of the impasse.

b. On the issue of turning the office of the Dean of students into a predatory role, this allegation is disingenuous and contemptuous. We all know as students that when a complaint is filed against any student, a committee is constituted and hearing is made and the reliefs being sought for are granted all in the interest of the entire student union with no officer of the dean of students’ outfit involved in such processes. However, under circumstances where some “recalcitrant” students want to pervert judgement for their parochial interest which would bring the name of the student union and the University as a whole in disrepute, the office of the Dean of Students which serves as an advisor to all student unions on campus comes into the situation to make issues better for both students and the University. It would have been better if an example of such allegation was given to substantiate the allegation. It has never been the case that when a case is filed with the office of the Dean of students, the noble Professor will sit all by himself and take unilateral decisions but rather involve the student leadership to reach at a consensus which is the best for all.

c. On the issue of unethical publication of news about students’ misbehavior on campus on a news portal, we strongly say that this is another fabricated lie without any factual evidence. This position by the so-called concerned KNUST students are completely false and geared up on the mantra of let’s “destroy his hard won reputation for our selfish interest”. Unfortunately, the so called concerned students accuses the Dean as well as the vice-Dean as the brain behind those publications simply because the vice-Dean works for a station that published the alleged student issue on their portal, unknowing to these concerned KNUST students, the same radio station has employees who are also students of KNUST who are much likely to publish other than the Office of the Dean of Students. After all, what is the interest of the Dean of students together with his Vice in publishing students’ issues on a web portal? Again, the vice Dean is not a staff of the radio station as stated by the faceless petitioners.

d. We vehemently state that there is no evidence to prove that Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare together with his Vice have ever diverted funds to build their own personal accounts. In the handling of students’ unions funds in KNUST, the Dean of Student is only entitled to approve withdrawals for students and do not have the sole right to sign for any money from students’ account without a request being made by the student leadership and the prior notice of the accountant. Therefore, we posit that the Dean of Student, Prof. Wilson Agyare has achieved enough in life to be able to build any account with his own funds than that of students. With regards to the allegation about the VAT invoices, the least said about it the better because we know that these purported concerned students of KNUST know nothing about the managerial practices of this noble University and just making unfounded claims.

e. Finally, per our checks when writing this rebuttal, the purported concerned students of KNUST have not officially served their so-called petition to the various authorities of the school if not palpable falsehood they are professing against the noble Professor. As the saying goes, he who alleges must prove so we are by this statement demanding that those miscreants provide evidence to their malicious and deceptive claims against the good Professor.

It must be noted that these miscreants are out there with these fallacies against Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare because may be he did not allow them to perpetuate fraud against the students and the University as a whole so wants to run down his hard earned reputation through mere online publications.

Therefore, we make our claim that:

* Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare we know hates corruption with every fiber within him hence their hate for him.

*Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare we know is a disciplinarian and someone who would not sweep anything under the carpet no matter who you are to him.

*Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare we know does not support wrong doings of students since as a father it is his duty make sure we as students exhibit good attitudes on campus.

For any further information, call the following leaders of the group: Mr. Daniel Nkansah – Coordinator, PhD student and a former Vice-President GRASAG-KNUST (0541111379)

Mr. Francis Mintah Dadzie – PRO, PhD student (0548374845)

Mr. Stephen Andura – Member, Former Organizing Secretary GRSAG- KNUST (0244291654)

Mr. Collins Adu - 0547967122

CC: Members of Convocation Provost of all Colleges Dean of all Faculties CHRAJ Ministry of Education Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG) UTAG TEWU