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Akufo-Addo’s Gov’t Attacking Academic Freedom – Minority

The Minority In Parliament, has condemned government’s decision to dissolve the governing council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to rescind the decision with immediate effect.

According to them, the move is a threat to academic freedom in the country and also undermines the respect of the management of the institution.

”It must be emphasized that the Minority would not accept the erosion of the rule of law and the deliberate undermining of the sacrosanct principles of academic freedom and the independence of higher institutions of learning as enshrined in Articles 21 and 70 of the Constitution of Ghana and the National Council for Tertiary Education Act, 1993, Act 454.” – Leader of the Minority in Parliament disclosed at a press briefing.

Explaining further, the minority believes measures and actions by the Akufo-Addo government in connection to activities at the University is of high threat to university studies in the country.

Read The Full Statement Below: 

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT ON THE CRISIS AT THE KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADDRESSED BY MINORITY LEADER, HON. HARUNA IDDRISU.

The Minority in Parliament is outraged at the blatant attack on academic freedom and the unbridled assault on the autonomy of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology by the Akufo-Addo led Government.

It must be emphasized that the Minority would not accept the erosion of the rule of law and the deliberate undermining of the sacrosanct principles of academic freedom and the independence of higher institutions of learning as enshrined in Articles 21 and 70 of the Constitution of Ghana and the National Council for Tertiary Education Act, 1993, Act 454.

We would also not tolerate the wanton trampling and disregard of Act 80 as amended and the Statutes of the KNUST.

The Minority submits strongly that this whole impasse which has now spiraled out of control is a failure of leadership by Government and a reflection of the super incompetence that has characterized the Akufo-Addo Administration.

Proactive and consultative leadership would have better managed Government’s unpopular policy of the conversion of single sex halls of residence at the KNUST. In any case, we do not believe that of all the issues confronting higher education in Ghana, the conversion of single sex halls should even feature as a priority at this crucial time.

We condemn in very clear language the violation of the rights of students and the brutalities meted out to students exercising their constitutional right to protest.

In like manner, we duly condemn the violent demonstrations leading to the destruction of private and public property.

The Minority in Parliament unreservedly and absolutely denounces Government’s unlawful conduct in dissolving the Council of the University. We demand the immediate reversal of this illegal act.

We decry the attempt to scapegoat the Vice Chancellor Prof. Kwesi Obiri-Danso and hold him solely responsible for the current crisis. This act by Government is the highest form of dishonesty, cowardice and bad faith.

All Ghanaians who cared to follow this issue; heard the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh endorse the hall conversion policy on July 15, 2018 at the 52nd Congregation of KNUST.

Similarly, the Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah on September 8, 2018, endorsed the hall conversion policy describing it as Government’s Policy and directing other universities to emulate KNUST’s “bold” example.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if Prof. Kwesi Obiri-Danso must be removed because of this policy and it’s implementation, then it stands to reason that the two Ministers of Education namely Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Prof. Kwesi Yankah who publicly endorsed the policy, supervised, championed and praised it’s implementation should resign or be fired with immediate effect. The Minority hereby demands that the two Ministers must be treated equally just as Prof. Obiri-Danso.

More fundamentally, the Minority expresses it’s deep worry for what appears to have become a consistent pattern by Government to invade autonomous tertiary institutions and remove Principal Officers it did not appoint. This was the case at the University of Education, Winneba, the Ghana Institute of Journalism and the Cape Coast Polytechnic.

The Minority would not sit idle and allow this reckless attack on academic freedom and the autonomy of our higher institutions of learning to become the new normal.

It is for this reason that we declare our full support and express our unflinching solidarity for the striking and demonstrating unions at KNUST and beyond.
We commend UTAG, TEWU, FUSAG GAUA and VCG for standing up against oppressor’s rule.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Minority is concerned about how Government’s knee-jerk reaction has derailed the mediation efforts of the Chancellor, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II. Government’s attempt to undermine his authority as Chancellor and disrupt the mediation efforts he had commenced just before Government’s ill-advised intervention and illegal conduct in dissolving the University Council.

We therefore demand that Government apologizes to the revered King and Chancellor. Importantly, Government must promptly accede to his demand of reinstating the governing council.

If Government so desires, it can change it’s reps on the University Council but it cannot proceed to dissolve the entire Council by such crude means.

The current matters before us are about the precedent we must not tolerate, the image of Ghana’s higher education we must not damage and the respect for the rights and views of key stakeholders in our universities which we must not disregard.

The Minority must point out at this juncture that we do not absolve President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from this imbroglio. It is he who directed the Ministry of Education to engage in the unlawful act of dissolving the University Council and it is he who refused to act in a timely manner that would have averted this entire predicament.

We insist that President Akufo-Addo changes course by respecting the Constitution and the laws of Ghana and thereby avoiding the looming shut down of all universities in Ghana.

We thank you for your attention.

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