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31 Grabbed Over KNUST Riots

A TOTAL of 31 students have so far been arrested in connection with the troubles that hit the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi over the weekend.

Eleven of the students were apprehended by the Tech Police last Friday, after they flouted a directive to stop a night vigil at the Katanga Hall, while 20 others were arrested after Monday’s incident, which led to the massive destruction of vehicles, motorbikes and other valuable items.

About 30 vehicles, mostly belonging to officials of the university, had their windscreens smashed. Fourteen motorbikes were also set ablaze.

Some of the vehicles were overturned while office computers and laptops that contained vital school information were destroyed.

Security personnel of the University took to their heels after the rampaging students took the law into their hands and destroyed almost everything on sight.

The irate students went on war path because they were not in support of a management decision to convert male halls into unisex halls, reports suggested.

Policemen detailed to the campus could not handle the situation until the military was deployed.

An unexpected closure of the university was immediately announced by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah.

In a related development, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has expressed its support to the KNUST students over the incident.

According to a statement signed by the President, Elisha Oheneba, the Union would resist any attempt to stifle students’ freedom and vowed to always remain on the side of students.

Whilst in one vein NUGS described the vandalism as shameful and called on government to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book, it argued that the students would not have reacted the way they did, if they had not been attacked first by security men.

“NUGS wishes to call on the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the Minister of Education – Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (MP) to as a matter of urgency constitute a committee to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book to serve as a deterrent to others who may think that they can do anything in KNUST and go free,” the statement read.

Closed down

Meanwhile, the decision to close down KNUST was taken after a meeting between school authorities and the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC).

According to the school authorities, only foreign students would be allowed to stay on campus until the issue has been resolved.

Students, as at press time, had started vacating the campus for their respective homes.

By: Akwasi Boakye

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