Asantehene receives report from KNUST student disruption committee

General News of Monday, July 29, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-07-29

The three-member committee to investigate student disruptions that led to the temporary closure of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) last October has completed its work.

"I am pleased to say that the Committee has completed its work and has submitted my report," said Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and also Chancellor of the University, to a congregation of the United Nations. University of Kumasi.

"I study the report and will comment on the committee's conclusions in due course, after the necessary consultations," he said.

The commission, chaired by the retired Supreme Court justice, Judge Rose Owusu, was to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident and present a roadmap to chart the way to avoid such problems in the future.

KNUST, the leading higher education institution in science and technology in Ghana, was plunged into confusion resulting from student disruption, a situation that required the swift intervention of a team composed of police officers and of military.

The incident, described by the injured student body as a response to what they described as orchestrated and systematic ill-treatment by the university authorities, resulted in the destruction of property. worth several thousand Cedis.

"One of my main concerns was the bad public image that the University had received following the protest," Otumfuo Osei Tutu told the 53rd congregation of KNUST.

The university community, he said, drew up a report and learned some useful lessons from the incident.

At this year's ceremony, 8,177 students, including 7,105 undergraduates and 1,072 graduate students, were certified.

Nine hundred and thirty (930) undergraduates, representing 34%, had a first clbad honors degree.

Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, who represented the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, congratulated the graduates for their hard work.

He affirmed the government's commitment to help the University fulfill its mission and vision.

Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, said that his academic and research activities have enabled this institution to find solutions to the country's development problems.