Vandals march to castle on Thursday

Some current and old Students of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon are set to embark on a protest match on Thursday, May 6, to the seat of government at Osu to register their protest at the University’s decision to transform the hall into a mixed one for graduate students.

The decision to transform the 54 year old ‘Vandal City’ was taken by the Executive Committee of the University of Ghana following series of rowdy conducts by inhabitants of the hall, with particular reference to a recent unpleasant happening during the University’s last congregation in March this year.

It is recalled that during the said congregation some students of the Commonwealth Hall allegedly heckled former UN Boss Kofi Annan, who is also Chancellor of the University, and chanted songs in his face.

The Executive Committee of the University, after meeting on the development found it necessary to metamorphose the hall into a mixed hall for graduate students beginning next academic year, as a means of forestalling any further embarrassing occurrences. The decision has triggered several angry reactions from the vandals and old vandals of the hall.

A former Chief Vandal of the Commonwealth Hall, now a Legal Practitioner and Managing Editor of the Observer News Paper Egbert Faibille, told Citi FM he is shocked about the development.

‘‘I think that this is a very sad decision and I am very surprised’’ he stated. He said even though he did not support the heckling of the Former UN Boss and the constant unruly behaviour of students, it would have been appropriate for the University authority to consult the alumni since they were also stakeholders.

Graduate students who are supposed to be beneficiaries of the University’s decision have rejected the move to convert the hall.

Some of them who spoke to Citi News said there were more pragmatic measures to check students’ rowdiness other than the ‘‘cosmetic action’’ by the University to convert Commonwealth Hall into a mixed hall.

They described the decision as “irrational” since the University`s Chancellor was not heckled as it is being peddled.

‘‘Look nobody touched the Chancellor, so what is heckling here, so we are also expecting the chancellor to tell the whole world that nobody touched him, it’s a lie’’ a graduate student noted.

Citifmonline has information that the displeased vandals will match to the castle in the company of several old vandals, notably professionals and others in high ranking positions in the country to present their petition to President Mills on Thursday.