General News of Thursday, 25 October 2018
Source: mynewsgh.com
2018-10-25
Prof Obiri Danso, Vice Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have taken to social media where they have christened their Vice Chancellor, Prof Obiri Danso as ‘Kumasi Adolf Hitler’.
This is after they said their lives as students would have been better off and peaceful if Professor Obiri-Danso’s mother had aborted him when she got pregnant, as MyNewsGh.com reported from their protest.
Prof Obiri Danso is Vice Chancellor of the now infamous University. He got the approval of the Education Ministry and the University Council to convert some sing le-gender halls of the University into mixed halls. There has been protests and violence since.
Some of the students chanted insults and profanity, attacking the Vice Chancellor’s person in songs they composed as they marched. The new phase of the protest is now on social media where ‘Kumasi Adolf Hitler’ now means Prof Obiri Danso.
In our coverage of their protests earlier, quotes like “His (Obiri Danso’s) mother would have saved all this stress if she has aborted that ‘bastard’!” one protester chanted with a scarf covering his full face obviously for fear of victimization when he is identified.
The student protest over police brutality and bad administration by the VC turned violent on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as security personnel were chased away, their duty posts vandalized whilst cars and motors set ablaze. The school has since been shut down indefinitely.
Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso assumed office as the twelfth vice-chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2016. He took over from Prof. W. O. Ellis.
He is a Professor of Environmental Microbiology/Environmental Health at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, a scholar of international repute. Prior to his appointment as Vice-Chancellor, he was the Provost, College of Science, KNUST. A leading academic with considerable experience in general education, institutional management, university teaching, research management, international relations and outreach service delivery.
Professor Obiri-Danso also has boardroom experience, collaborative research experience, and experience from headship/membership of high profile Boards, Committees and Teams- but all the above, the Students of KNUST have said has not translated into good leadership when he became VC.
At the time of his appointment to the eminent seat of Vice-Chancellor, he was Chairman, Kumasi Polytechnic Council; Chairman, National Nuclear Research Institute; Member, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and Member, Implementation Committee for University of Environment and Sustainable Development.