Strikes are a common occurrence in Ghana. University lecturers normally go on an ‘annual’ strike to demand better salaries and wages. However this year, the students of KNUST have gone on a strike after the brutalizing and imprisonment of some students during their weekly vigil (morale) by the KNUST campus security. The sit-down strike was meant to be a peaceful protest to deliver a message to school authorities and the rest of Ghana that the needs of the students are not being addressed. However, the strike turned violent as some students had just had enough of the neglect.
How it all began
10 students and one alumnus of the University were arrested for holding a vigil on campus at the University Hall without permission from the authorities. During the arrest of these students, one of them was severely injured after a group of the KNUST security men manhandled him.
Knust! The previous night!💔 How it happened 😪 #SayNoToBrutalityInKNUST pic.twitter.com/djXCaqEeXH
— Emmanuel (@Mactettehh) October 22, 2018
The student is now in the KNUST hospital responding to treatment. The KNUST’s PRO, Mr. Kwame Yeboah, had this to say about the matter;
“The university thinks certain activities in the night should not be entertained. Some other activities are permitted because the students applied for permission. But there was no permission for last Friday’s activity. The students decided to go their own way. They decided not to obey any rules or regulations on campus, and the law doesn’t permit that. So when it happened, the police were brought in,”
The SRC then organised a sit-down strike which was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration to further emphasize their frustration at the neglect and unfair treatment by the KNUST administration. But students could not hold in their anger and frustrations and began to vandalize the administration block. Shattering glass doors and ransacking items from the offices. Official vehicles of the Dean of Student was set ablaze as well as motorbikes belonging to the KNUST security.
The campus was in a state of chaos with students blocking main roads and university staff running for their lives. Mobs of students gathered in their numbers and went around campus destroying school properties in the process. This sudden outburst by the students is not a surprise as there has been a lot of tension on campus over the past few weeks. The authorities have tried to extinguish with a brutish show of power without the opinion or concern of the students.
The real cause
At the beginning of the Semester, the two male-only halls on campus, Unity Hall (Conti) and University Hall (Katanga) were converted to mixed halls. The explanation from the PRO was that they wanted to create more room for female students in the University but the funny thing is that the only female hall was also converted to a mixed hall. Not the best thing to do if you want to accept more female students. Besides, there are acres of land that can easily be used to build new halls, but that’s another matter.
This move gave the impression that the University authorities were trying to calm the rowdy boys who gather in these halls by adding their female counterparts. This decision was not unanimous and was not open for discussion as the alumni of the school tried to convince the VC to change his mind. They even appealed to the President of Ghana who assured them that he will do what he can through the Minister of Education but it proved futile as the halls were converted against the will of the students within the halls; breaking age-old traditions without consulting the stakeholders.
To make matters worse, the authorities tried to cancel their peaceful Friday night vigils (morale) which had become a tradition for both halls. It was during a vigil session that the KNUST security forces and students clashed and that led to the brutal beating of a student that sparked a campus-wide outrage. Students were feeling oppressed by the University Council. The University tried subjugating students to their new rules which did not go down very well with the students. Traditions and cultures which had been developed over decades were being pushed against and with that the basic freedom and rights of the student as well.
The way forward
We dare not saying that the acts of the students are justified. Not at all. Violence and destruction is never a solution. But I believe that their voices have now been clearly heard throughout the country. This whole matter could have been handled better but what has happened has happened. Let’s learn from this awful experience.
The University Council should understand that the students are major stakeholders of the University. They are the major financers of any University and the development of any University will depend on its students. They should be treated with respect and as adults, as most of them are well over the legal age. The University without students is worthless. Universities should listen to the needs and complaints of students. Every human being deserves to be treated as such, a human being. I also think that the University Council can in future work more closely with the University or Hall alumni for better communication. Students tend to respect those who have gone before them because they understand their challenges.
Developments
The PRO has instated a curfew from 6pm today to 6am tomorrow. In effect, all students are required to leave the campus on October 23rd between the hours of 6am to 12pm.
We will keep following this issue closely. KNUST Students who can not make it home can stay in their hostels outside of campus.