NUGS President cited for contempt

Accra, March 1, GNA - An Accra High Court has cited Mr Ken Abortsi, President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) for contempt. This was after he commented on a writ before the Court in respect of a perpetual injunction restraining him from holding himself as the President.

The Court presided over by Mrs Helena Inkumsah-Abban, ordered Mr Abortsi to pay a fine of two million cedis, or in default go to prison for two weeks.

He has 14 days to pay the fine.

The plaintiff, Mr Harry Afrim Darko, a first year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, was seeking a declaration that Mr Aborsti was not eligible to stand for the national presidency of NUGS, according to Article 23 of NUGS' Constitution. The writ of summons also sought for a declaration that the conduct of the election for the NUGS presidency at the NUGS' Central Committee meeting on December 29, 2003 was in contravention of NUGS' Constitution.

In a statement of claim, the plaintiff contended that the Central Committee should have organised a congress to elect the President and not a meeting.

It said by virtue of Article 23 (1) of the NUGS' Constitution, the president of the union shall be elected among full time students of member institutions, provided that candidate would have completed at least a year's study at their present institution and have a year to complete their course.

The statement of claim noted that Mr Abortsi has only four months to complete his course of study, which was far less than the mandatory constitutional period.

Mr Abortsi, who was served with the writ of summons, went to an Accra FM station saying the writ was politically motivated since it emanated from Akuffo Addo Chambers.

He alleged that the writ had something to do with the ultimatum he gave to the Government to reconcile the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) account at the People's Assembly held at the Accra International Conference Centre earlier this year.

The Court, however, ruled that the writ was not politically motivated as it only bordered on the eligibility of his presidency. He was therefore cited for contempt.

The Court would begin to hear the substantive writ on March 5. This would, however, depend on Mr Abortsi's ability to pay the fine. Meanwhile NUGS in a statement last Friday, appealed to the general public and well- meaning Ghanaians, who supported the student movement to assist them to pay the two million cedis court fine.

"As at now, the union is cash strapped and cannot raise the said amount from its own coffers," the statement said.