General News of Thursday, 1 November 2018
Source: peacefmonline.com
2018-11-01
The demonstration by the students led to the destruction of some properties estimated at GHC1.7 m
A week after students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) went on a rampage and destroyed properties, authorities of the university have put the cost of damage between GH¢1.6 and GH¢1.7 million.
The students revolted against the school authorities in protest over what they described as inhumane treatment and heavy-handedness by the authorities.
Speaking on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia Programme, Assistant Registrar at University Relations Office, Mr. Kwame Yeboah Jnr, said the estimated cost of damage was the result of an extensive work by a team of experts put together by KNUST authorities.
“As I speak to you now, the University has started [repairing some of the vehicles which got destroyed in the process, whilst other staff members whose cars were destroyed in the up rising have had theme repaired already.”
“The facilities that were destroyed, including access control facilities in all the halls and items in the offices that were destroyed, glasses that were smashed and all that and then the destruction of vehicles belonging to the staff of the university. These constitute the figure that I gave”
“Currently, an independent committee will be constituted by new council and they will determined whether students be made to pay for the damages or otherwise, but as it stands now, no decision has been taken on that yet,” he added.
He further mentioned that calm has been restored following Government’s request to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Chancellor of the KNUST, to lead a process to reconstitute the University’s Governing Council.
An interim council that was announced was met with widespread rejection among various educational fronts.
The new council is expected to be reconstituted by Friday, November 2, 2018, and will take over from the Interim Governing Council, according to a press release issued in Accra by the Information Ministry.
A statement signed by the then Minister-designate for information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, indicated that Government has subsequently engaged UTAG and updated the Association accordingly.