Polytechnic students to embark on national strike

The Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) on Monday condemned disciplinary measures taken against some students of Accra Polytechnic following the abortive matriculation last month and said they would embark on a national sit-down strike if they are not reversed.

The GNUPS said: "We vehemently condemn the expulsion and rustication of our colleagues and, therefore, call for their unconditional re-instatement as the Academic Board lacks jurisdiction to dismiss the students".

Mr Boakye Asiamah, GNUPS national president, who said this at a news conference in Accra on Monday, noted that the SRC executives were performing their political duties in the interest of the student body.

Six students were expelled while eight others were rusticated for two academic years following the disruption of the matriculation ceremony last month.

The authorities set up a committee to investigate the incident and the Academic Board handed down the sentences last week.GNUPS said the six expelled students are members of the Students' Representative Council.

The national president, quoting the GNUPS constitution to back its decision, said "in times of crises in any member institution, the national executive committee shall have the right to assume the final arbiter in such cases".

"The expulsion directive is not only to the six but to the entire students of Accra Poly whose cause they stood for hence our solidarity." He said the GNUPS also rejects the composition of the fact-finding committee on whose commendations the Academic Board acted.

Mr Asiamah added that the committee was a fact-finding one and not a disciplinary body. He alleged that most of the statements documented in the committee's report did not reflect the true testimonies of students during the nvestigation.

Mr Asiamah said the use of index numbers and not names during examinations, award of scholarships, management of academic facility user fees, and lack of transparency and autocratic tendencies of the principal were the concerns of the students when the matriculation was disrupted.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the GNUPS position, the Principal, Nana Dr Baah Boakye, said the disciplinary action was in line with the Polytechnic's rules and regulations that the students flouted.

He described the demonstration organised by the SRC on that day as illegal, saying "any student or students wishing to organise a procession or demonstration shall notify the principal in writing 48 hours prior to the event".

Such notification shall state the purpose of the event and the names of the organisers. Dr Boakye said the organisers shall be held responsible for any act of violence or breach of polytechnic, hostel or other regulations that may occur during the event.

He said any individual who commits an act of violence during such an event shall also be held responsible for his or her action. The punishment for unauthorised demonstration ranges from suspension for a minimum of two weeks to expulsion.

On the authority of the committee, Dr Boakye explained that the Academic Board considered its report. Therefore, it is not true that the fact-finding committee expelled the students. He said discipline at the polytechnic is the responsibility of the principal.