A senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has pointed out that the institution would not hesitate in meting out punishment on the arrested students involved in the recent campus disturbances.
He was reacting to the recent campus unrest where 18 persons were nabbed by police on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, for the disturbances that occurred on the University’s campus after they reportedly clashed with the police.
The incident happened at the entrance of the Commonwealth Hall after the students were prevented from occupying the hall following a directive from authorities of the university.
The university management said the new residential policy requires that continuing students are supposed to occupy other halls apart from the Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls to make way for level 100 and graduate students.
However, the students flouted the directives and claimed they have secured a court order to return to the hall.
Their action thus resulted in a clash with the security personnel who were present on campus where 18 among some 200 people engaged in the act have been arrested and would be arraigned before court.
“All 18 suspects are in police custody and will be put before the court to face justice. We would like to give the assurance that all other persons involved in the disturbances will be arrested and brought to face justice,” a police statement confirmed.
Speaking on the Anopa Bofo morning show on Angel FM/TV, Professor Gyampo said although the suspects would face the law as confirmed by police, internal punishment by the school would not be left out.
He explained that the school’s pending actions against ‘these persons’ is in the right direction because the students prior to their action were reminded of the suspension of procession on campus.
“When they [the students] were embarking on their actions, we issued a statement reminding them that there was a ban on procession, yes, we reminded them, they are aware, and they know that, so that’s the first thing.
“Two, when they arrived, they were forcibly breaking into the hall whiles engaging in riots which some students even went to the extreme to fight the police resulting in their arrest,” the Political Science lecturer told Kwamina Sam Biney on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
Given these accounts, Professor Ransford Gyampo said the school, going forward, will punish whosoever is found guilty in the disturbance to bring sanity and serve as a deterrent.
“So, the way forward is that we shall take them through the legal process. It is the police who arrested them therefore when they are done on their parts, the university has also vowed to let them face the consequences of the law governing the school accordingly,” he added as said in the local parlance.
