KNUST Law students Clarify Joy FM story

ON 26TH February, 2007, Joy FM and its affiliates carried a news item at 6am which alleged that Executives of the College of the Art and Social Sciences – to wit the Faculties of Law, Rural Art and Social Sciences could not account for funds belonging to their various associations/unions for which reason the Provost of the College had announced that their certificates would be withheld. It was also alleged that the handing over to new executives of the same associations/unions were being delayed because of this malfeasance. The story was repeated some few minutes to the 7a.m News Bulletin.

2. In the case of the Faculty of Law, the news item indicated that the Executives could not account for 4 million cedis. We wish to state categorically that the story concerning the Law Students’ Union is factually untrue.

3. That news item has come as a complete shock and surprise to the past Executives considering the degree of transparency and sense of probity with which the Executives handled the finances of the Union. The said news item has therefore seriously dented the image of the union and impugned the integrity of the ex-Executives.

4. The truth is that the union had its accounts audited some three weeks before handing over to new executives and no where in that audit report was it indicated that past Executives could not account for or had embezzled some money. As a matter of fact, that audit report was boldly displayed on the notice board of the faculty.

5. The said report was presented to the General Assembly of the Law Students’ Union at a meeting convened for that purpose and no where did it appear that there was any embezzlement of funds or that the Executives could not account for Four Million cedis (¢4,000,000.00). The records are there for all to see.

6. Admittedly, the audit report revealed a wrong debit entry of some four million (¢4,000,000.00) cedis by the Union’s bankers; but this error was corrected several days ago and the matter explained to students at the said General Assembly Meeting. As a matter of fact, the auditors of the union and Ghana Commercial Bank, KNUST Branch could be contacted for verification.

7. With respect to the handing over, it is interesting to note that the past executives handed over power to new executives on the 22nd of February, 2007, four clear days before that news item.

8. In spite of this overwhelming evidence, your reporter chose to give a story that had no basis and refused to crosscheck his ‘facts’ before going on air.

9. The immediate past Executives are therefore calling on Joy FM and its affiliates to retract that story, give this retraction the same prime time and prominence as was given to that news item and apologize unreservedly to the past Executives and the Union whose image has been dented seriously by that report.

10. In the event that this request is not met, we would advise ourselves among other things taking legal action to redress same.

1. Stephen Azantilow(Ex-President)

2. EBENEZER Adjei Bediako(Vice-President)

3. Dora Ohene Kyei(Ex-Gen.Secretary)

4. Annette Apori (Ex-Treasurer)

5. Samuel Ohene Ayisi(Ex-Organiser)

6. Anna Kyei (Nugs Rep.)

27th February, 2007

The Manger

G.C.B. – KNUST Branch

Kumasi

CHANGE OF SIGNATORIES

This is to inform you that following the election and assumption of office of new Executives of the Law Students’ Union as per the Constitution of the Union, the old signatories to the Union’s Current Account with your Branch have lapsed. Accordingly, the underlisted students and bearers of this letter are the new signatories to the Account: Name Signature

1. Diana Asonaba Daapah(President)

2. Ellen Serwaa Mireku (Gen.Secretary)

3. Margaret Ohenewaa Boateng(Financial Sec.)

The changes take effect from 28th February, 2007. Counting on your usual co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen Azantilow Out gone President