Accra, May 18, GNA - Mr Lord Koranteng Hamah, a candidate in the recent disputed Students Representative Council (SRC) Elections of the University of Ghana, on Thursday announced his withdrawal from the University as a student with immediate effect.
At press briefing in Accra, Mr Hamah explained that he was forced to take the decision "as a result of the hostility shown to me by high officials of the University, outright disrespect for my civil rights and illegal threats".
He said the withdrawal was also "in protest at the disclosure of transcripts of my academic records by the Dean of Students, Dr Banoeng Yakubu ".
According to him the decision to withdraw from the University was taken in consultation with both his paternal and maternal families, who were all worried about his victimisation.
Mr Hamah explained that even though he had withdrawn from the University, by regulation he would still remain a member of NUGS until after two years. This, he said, would afford him opportunity to continue his fight against victimisation of students at the University. On the disputed elections, Mr Hamah said after passing through the vetting process and securing one-third of the popular votes, the University issued a fiat disqualifying him in deliberate disregard for the lawful process.
He denied engaging in examination malpractice and said the press statement issued by the University to that effect was "taken out of context to deceive the general public".
Mr Hamah explained that the said unauthorised material, which the University authorities claimed was found on him, was "only found on me outside the exams hall after a random search which is very normal. "It is only by mischief will a conclusion of attempting to gain unfair advantage be reached and arbitrary sanction of four semester rustication be ordered."
At the press briefing, which was also attended by other SRC members and students, who claimed to have been victimised by the University authorities, Mr Hamah appealed to the Minister of Education, Science and Sports to order an inquiry into the ongoing SRC Hostel Complex contract, the ICT project for which students were charged 300,000 cedis each year, the water projects in Commonwealth and Akuafo Halls and the 500 million cedis car park at the Commonwealth Hall.
