Riot: Sandema SHTS closed following the death of a student

General News on Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

2019-07-17

Authorities at Sandema Technical High School are likely to declare "a pig party" today after rioting students have rejected a breakfast prepared for 986 boarders this morning.

The school was closed about an hour ago and students were asked to leave the campus following a District Security Council (DISEC) meeting held today.

A clash erupted Tuesday among students on campus after some students refused to comply with the order given by the school's cadet corps to fold. Vehicles and houses were set on fire, while students were wounded with machetes during the chaos. One student died as a result of a gunshot wound and another girl, a girl, collapsed when police fired warning shots to restore calm.

"DISEC met. This morning, the students refused to have breakfast and many of them have already left. And once they do not want to eat, what is the point of keeping them? Yesterday, they told their colleagues that they did not want to see anyone in the clbadroom or even in the dining room.

"True to their words, no one went to school, breakfast was served and no one had gone in to eat. So, our breakfast is still there. Some pigs will enjoy it. Who can consume this amount of prepared food for 986 students? Surplus takers in the community are always present but they can not finish it. Breakfast for 986 students? How many surplus collectors can erase this? It's a party for pigs today, "Starr News told an authority in trouble at school who did not want his name mentioned.

Builsa North District Chief (DCE), David Afoko, was in trouble at the school some time ago to announce to students the decision made by DISEC to take charge of development.

"They refused to eat and the tension was still there. So the best decision we made was to allow them to leave. They left. Before leaving, the majority of them were gone; so, once they left, there was no need for me to stay there.

"Now that we are all well informed, we will come back as DISEC and form a five-member committee. We give the committee three weeks to present a report. The committee will include representatives of the school board of directors, the security services, the district badembly and the Ghana Education Service. We gave the students two weeks to come back. They will report on the 30th of this month, "the DCE told Starr News.

At the same time, the National Peace Council condemned the unrest, saying that violence is never the way to resolve conflicts, regardless of the cause of the conflict.

"Any form of violence is reprehensible. We know that no conflict can be resolved. In a school where there is a leadership and a board of student representatives, it is impossible that a conflict can be discussed and resolved.

"The use of violence is always the wrong decision. Whatever the reason for the riot, there is always a possibility of a peaceful solution. We will wait for details to know what kind of advice we will give on the situation, "said Wednesday the regional secretary of the National Peace Council for the Upper East region, Ali Anankpieng.