Protesting KNUST students go on the rampage

By
Stephen Asante, GNA

Kumasi, Oct. 22, GNA – Academic and commercial
activities at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST),
were on Monday (October 22, 2018) halted temporarily, following a violent
protest by some of the students.

The placards-wielding students, clad in red
and black, went on the rampage soon after embarking on a peaceful demonstration
on the University campus.

The rampaging students smashed louvres,
billboards, security barricades and windscreens of parked vehicles.

But for the timely intervention of a police
reinforcement team from the Ashanti Regional Police Command, many more damage
could have been done as the teeming protestors decided to destroy everything on
sight.

Eighteen (18) students, including two females,
whose names were not readily available, were arrested for wanton destruction of
property and all placed in police custody.

Nana Yaw Addison, an Executive Member of the
KNUST Students’ Representative Council (SRC), speaking to the Ghana News Agency
(GNA), Kumasi, called for restraint amongst the students.

The Council, he said, has presented a petition
to the University Council to probe what they described as
‘administrative-instigated brutalities’ meted out to some students of the
University Hall (Katanga) last Friday, which is believed to have sparked the
violent protest.

Eleven students of the Hall were allegedly
beaten mercilessly and put in custody by the KNUST Police in the said incident
as they embarked on one of their usual procession dubbed “Moral”.

Mr Stephen Otoo, an alumnus of the Hall,
invited to witness the procession was said to have sustained body injuries
after he was assaulted by some personnel of the KNUST Security Unit.

He was rushed to the University Hospital for
treatment.

Professor William Gariba, Dean of Students,
KNUST, told the GNA that the University was shocked and disappointed at the
turn of events, saying the authorities were holding an emergency meeting to
decide on the next line of action.

Calm had since been restored and there is
heavy police presence to prevent further destruction of property.

GNA

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