General News of Sunday, 28 October 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-10-28
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
The National Secretariat of the Ghana University Administrators [GAUA], has thrown its weight behind the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the association to demand the restoration of the dissolved KNUST governing council.
According to the secretariat, the decision to back the local chapter was reached after the National President of the Association, Francis Nyarko, convened a National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday October 27 to deliberate on the impasse at KNUST.
Members of GAUA at KNUST last week announced that they have withdrawn their services following the dissolution of the governing council by government until the dissolved council is restored.
This was barely a day after the KNUST branch of the University Teachers Association UTAG, had declared a strike over the same matter.
The National Executive Committee of GAUA after its Saturday meeting served notice that they “keenly await government’s reaction to the demand…for the restoration of the dissolved council” and if the government fails to heed to the restoration call by its members at KNUST, “we shall advice ourselves accordingly”.
Government has come under intense pressure from labour unions in tertiary institutions after it “unilaterally” dissolved the KNUST governing council following a violent protest by students led by the university’s SRC, against alleged brutalities and oppression meted out to students.
Government adds TEWU, UTAG members to KNUST interim council.
The government through the Ministry of Education says it has added two new members to the 7-member interim Governing Council of the KNUST.
The two are representatives of the KNUST chapter of the University Teachers Association (UTAG), and the Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (TEWU).
According to the government, the decision is “to further enhance stakeholder involvement.”
It is however unclear whether the aggrieved groups will rescind their decision over the reconstitution of the interim council, especially as the Global Alumni of the KNUST has also asked government to restore the former Council and allow them full time to deal with the matter at hand.