University of Ghana is committing contempt of court - Ato Dadzie

Accra, July 1, GNA - Nana Ato Dadzie, Counsel for Commonwealth Hall, has accused the authorities of the University of Ghana of contempt of court, for refusing to admit fresh students into the all-male hall for 2010/2011 academic year.

He said the refusal to admit fresh students into the hall meant that the authorities of the University were implementing their intention to carry through with the conversion exercise, which contravened the ruling of a court barring it from undertaking the exercise.

Nana Ato Dadzie made the accusation when he addressed the hall's Annual Republic Day Jamboree, organised by Old Vandals Association at its forecourt, at the University on Thursday.

He said admission letters sent by the University to 2010/2011 students, unlike other halls, did not prescribe Commonwealth Hall as one of the residences for the students. Mr. Dadzie said that the consequences of the contempt action would be too dangerous for the authorities to bear, adding it would not be slapped on the University as an institution but on the individuals who were bent on ensuring that Commonwealth Hall was converted from its current status into a mixed-gender post graduate hall. The University earlier this year, took a decision to convert the Commonwealth Hall into a mixed-gender post-graduate hall to curb indiscipline among students, one of which was replicated on March 13 this year.

This was resisted by student leaders of the hall, who secured a court's injunction restraining the University from embarking on the exercise. Mr. Dadzie said Commonwealth Hall was not against females becoming its members; rather it was against the University's decision to punish over 4,000 students for an offence committed by about 100 students. He said punishing over 4,000 students for an offence committed by about 100 students was unjust, unfair and contravened the law of equity. Nana Dadzie said highly placed members of society had confided in him that they were not enthused with the decision of the University to convert the hall adding this was why we would not allow few people to change what we treasured.

Dasebre Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area and President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs called on the authorities of the University to "see eye to eye" with the hall for the development of the University.

Dasebre Oti Boateng, who is an alumnus of the Commonwealth Hall, said vandalism was not about destruction but acting in unison for progress. "We will overcome any authority that does not want the survival of the vandals", he said.

Dasebre Oti Boateng asked "how will the University handle issues of discipline with other halls, will it continue to convert them"? He urged hall members, also known as vandals, not to over-react and be over-convinced in certain issues to ensure the maintenance of the tradition of vandalism, which was unity.

Mr John Mbroh, Acting President of The Association, pledged its support for the hall in its attempts to get the authorities of the University to rescind the decision to convert the hall. Mr Mbroh condemned acts of hooliganism, boisterousness, and indiscipline and pledged the Association's cooperation with the University to "fish out and identify such miscreants and deal with them under the disciplinary rules, regulations and procedures of the University". He urged authorities of the University to be fair when taking decisions that affected the University halls adding "In today's world of pluralism, where legitimacy is dispersed amongst a vast array of formal and informal institutions, it is definitely unacceptable to cloak yourself with the mantel of autonomy and act with impunity".