The Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), Otumfuo Osei Tutu, has visited the University to learn at first hand, the extent of destruction caused to both public and private properties during a students rampage last week.
Otumfuo was visiting the KNUST as the Chancellor to learn at first hand the extent of damage caused by irate students when they went on a rampage on October 22, in reaction to what they claim to be a dictatorial style of management of the University by the current management.
In the heat of the riot, about 30 official and private vehicles including that of the Dean of Students, a shuttle and motorbikes of the internal security outfit were badly destroyed.
Similarly, security gadgets, IT equipment, office equipment as well as buildings were not spared either.
The Chancellor of the University, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is also the Asantehene, was out of the country when the incident occurred.
Upon his return at the last weekend, he was adequately briefed by some of the stakeholders such as the Vice Chancellor and government functionaries about circumstances of the issue.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu first attended to a delegation of the Vice Chancellors, Ghana, who had called on him at the Manhyia Palace early in the morning in connection with the matter.
The Chancellor was afterwards accompanied by the members of the delegation. Led by the Vice Chancellor, Profeasor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Otumfuo Osei Tutu and his guests were first conducted round the Central Administration, followed by the Republic Hall then to the KNUST Security Post, the Transport Yard, the Dean of Students Office and ended at the Bomso Gate where some security gadgets have been considerably destroyed.
Briefing the media afterwards, the Chief of Staff at the Manhyia Palace, Mr. Kofi Badu, noted that the Chancellor has been given adequate briefing on the impasse and his visit to the scene has given him a fair idea of the seriousness of the problem.
He said, Otumfuo Osei Tutu is determined to facilitate the restoration of normalcy to the University for resumption of academic and administrative work.
The Chairman of the Vice Chancellors Conference, Ghana, Prof. John Gyapong, expressed shock at the extent of the destruction caused and said the earlier reports received had under estimated the damage caused.
Prof. Gyapong, who is also Vice Chancellor of the University for Health and Allied Sciences in the Volta region, said the incident serves as a great lesson to all such institutions and that under no circumstances would any individual or group of persons be allowed to resort to rowdism instead of using approved grievance resolution mechanism.
Earlier, the KNUST’s University Relations Officer, Kwame Yeboah, had told the media that the total coat of destruction to both public and private property, excluding items stolen, has been estimated at one point-Seven million Ghana Cedis and that it is an investigative committee to be constitutes that would determine who bears that cost.
Story by: Nicholas Osei Wusu
