Kumasi, March 11, GNA - The Students' Representative Council (SRC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has petitioned the University Council to conduct an enquiry into how one Aesha Adam, a third-year bio-chemistry student was stripped of her position as the newly-elected President of the university's Africa Hall for no tangible reason.
The SRC said, "We suspect foul play in the manner in which Dr (Mrs) Faustina Mensah, the Hall Administrator, connived with some members of the Hall Council to deny Miss Adam of her right to be sworn into office as the new President, even though she won the mandate of the hall residents".
Mr David Asante-Boateng, President of the SRC, made the call at a press conference in Kumasi at the weekend to register their disapproval and disappointment at the development.
Miss Adam was elected as President of the Africa Hall in November last year in an election in which she polled 68 per cent of the total ballot cast, however, the Hall Council challenged her legitimacy for the position, citing the reason that she was not officially a resident of the Hall.
The Hall Council, consequently, declared the election null and void and opened nomination for fresh elections, a development which incurred the displeasure of the SRC after Miss Adam petitioned it to look into the issue. Mr Asante-Boateng said the SRC's investigations had proved that Miss Adam occupied a room at the Hall during her first-year and is still an affiliate of the hall as she pays her dues regularly and was also in good standing.
"She can therefore vote and be voted for in any election of the hall in accordance with the university's regulations", he noted. The SRC President said the fact that Miss Adam now had no official room at the hall could not be used as the basis for denying her the presidency since authorities of the university allow every student to be accommodated at the hall for only a year due to lack of facilities. He cautioned that the SRC would henceforth dissociate itself from activities of the hall if its Council does not reverse its decision in upholding the elections so as to enable Miss Adam to be sworn into office as President, as was agreed at a recent meeting between the SRC and stakeholders of the Hall. Mr Asante-Boateng said the SRC would also resist any attempt by the Hall's Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) to constitute parallel Hall executives to run its affairs, saying, "We would mete out the appropriate sanction to the committee if it elects its own people against the will of the hall residents". He expressed the hope that the University Council would critically look at the issue for the truth to prevail. 11 March 06
