Students, Police Clash At Akrokerri

STUDENTS OF Akrokerri College of Education yesterday clashed with police personnel from the Obuasi Municipality in a major demonstration against the government over the non-payment of their 14-month accumulated allowances.

The clash took place at the Akrokerri junction along the Obuasi – Kumasi highway where the students were said to have blocked the road, thereby obstructing free-flow of traffic.

Police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets after hundreds of the students pelted them with stones on a road leading to the college.

Principal of the College, Emmanuel Asiedu, said the incident left two students, a male and female injured after they were hit by stray bullets.

According to him, while the female student identified as Constable Asirifi suffered an injury around her ear, her male counterpart, whose name was not immediately available, sustained gunshot wound around his knee.

The protesters, mainly drawn from the second year group, began mobilizing around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, awaiting the arrival of President John Dramani Mahama, who was to travel along the college’s junction to Obuasi. He, however, swerved them.

The Obuasi Municipal Police Commander, DSP Matthew Asante, told DAILY GUIDE the police received a distress call that the college students, as part of their demonstration, had blocked the main Obuasi – Kumasi road, obstructing free-flow of traffic.

“We met about 200 students when we got to the scene, and managed to clear the road blocks. But the students’ number increased in the middle of the road. Some of them began banging on the vehicles,” he narrated.

According to the police commander, as his men attempted to push them off the road, the students became infuriated and began pelting them with stones.

DSP Asante said the police responded with warning shots and firing of tear gas, with which they managed to ward them off.

He disclosed that two of his men as well as himself were hit by stones, as the student protesters intensified their unlawful action.

“We managed to restore calm and order after we pushed them to their campus,” the police boss indicated, intimating that the leadership of the student body would be invited for questioning as part of investigations.

Some of the students who spoke to DAILY GUIDE said they had wanted government to know how disgustingly they felt about the apparent discrimination against them when most of their colleagues at different colleges had received their allowances.

The students have therefore boycotted lectures until their allowances are paid by government.