TEWU condemns KNUST students’ behavior

The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union, (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress has condemned the actions of some students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology leading to the destruction of properties belonging to the University.

A statement signed by Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, the Deputy General Secretary of the Union, sympathized with members at the University whose properties were destroyed by the angry students in the demonstration on campus on Monday October 22, 2018.

“We wish to assure all such members that we will join forces with the local leaders in ensuring that all those who have lost any property will receive compensation for the replacement of the said property. We shall do everything possible to ensure that there is peace, stability and security on our campuses”, the statement said.

On the dissolution of the University Council and putting in its place a seven-member Interim Management Committee (IMC), TEWU urged government to engage in broader consultation to arrive at an amicable solution.

“The University has its Act which has been approved by Parliament, which gives mandate to the University Council. The dissolution of the Council, therefore, means that the Act of Parliament for the University has been overthrown. Our concern is not the representation or otherwise of the Union on the IMC but the constitutionality of this IMC.

We think that they must be brought back and allowed to perform its functions in accordance with the Act”, the statement said.

The Union was of the view that, government should have allowed the properly constituted Council of the University to meet and come out with a roadmap to resolving the impasse or instruct the Council to investigate the matter and report back to government through the Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education.

We wish to urge government to take steps to review its decision so that academic work can resume on the University campus as early as possible and also to ensure peace, security and stability on the campus for all the stakeholders.

The statement reiterated its solidarity with members in all tertiary institutions, especially the KNUST Local union.