UG Council, be guided by the truth and not needless emotional sentiments

Under the watch of Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo and the council of the University of Ghana, a bust of a long-dead individual of the University matters most than the life of the living student.

If my memory serves me right, on the 17th of April 2018 a student of the University of Ghana and a resident of Commonwealth Hall was kidnapped, beaten, molested and given an embarrassing haircut by some unscrupulous residents of Sarbah hall in a video which went viral. It is these same people whom today managers of the University are indirectly siding with as being innocents.

The student’s only crime was he wore the VANDAL Lacoste and walked past Mensah Sarbah Hall during an inter-hall debate competition. Before we could come to the aid and rescue our own at a time when the University security personnel were hopeless and couldn’t do anything, the police had already surrounded the place and all we were told was the University will investigate the issue and ensure the perpetrators are brought to book. The irony is that four years down the line the report is yet to be known.

In the said video, the student was taken into a room which is situated inside the hall. Now, what did the porters at the time do in ensuring their students did not engage in that terrorizing and heinous act?

The room he was taken to has a room number and members occupying it whose records were well known by the hall management. Was there any decision at the time to relieve the hall master and the senior hall tutor of the hall from their official posts, the answer is NO.

All these are enough evidence to get those behind that act to book within twenty-four hours if only we intend to resolve this, yet the University now has the guts to prematurely relieve the revered leaders of the Commonwealth Hall from their positions.

What a funny decision taken by those whom we think will be the most serious if no one else chooses to be!

It is shameful to note that the University has decided to not pursue the matter even when all indications point to the perpetrators being residents of Sarbah Hall.

Meanwhile, it's rather unfortunate that some students of the University had engaged themselves in a fight which occurred on Friday night on the University of Ghana campus leading to the destruction of some properties.

While we all condemned that act, we also expected management as a neutral arbiter to ensure justice is served only to our utmost surprise to see management jumping into a premature decision indicting only Commonwealth Hall to be the one responsible for all the damages.

Where are the lawyers like Atuguba, who teach the students law to become legal practitioners and also be guided by their true conscience and not by the influence of any association?

Where are the conflict resolution experts like Dr Seidu Alidu Mahama? Have they all gone asunder because Commonwealth Hall was allegedly part of the clash?

In the quest to find a true solution to the problem at hand the University chooses to rather fuel the problem by surcharging the hall for damages which they have no iota of evidence proving that Commonwealth was specifically responsible for the destruction of the property yet the council thought it wise to put all blame on Commonwealth Hall. If there was a fight, why is the University not willing to investigate fairly what triggered the fight?

The only flimsy explanation the University authority based its argument on is that VANDALs always leave their territory to fight others in their territory.

My question is when one is bitten by an unprovoked dog for only trespassing its master home to his\her final destination that person has no right whatsoever according to our university council to defend himself\herself and when that person does, he or she is at fault because the incident happens right in front of the dogs’ territory.

With all due respect, is the Vice Chancellor of UG aware that when VANDALs wear their vivacious Lacoste and walk past harmlessly in front of Sarbah hall, they are been trivialized and beaten to a pulp?

Is she aware that those hoodlums threatened one of our own with a machete and demanded 300 cedis and a goat before he can be released? If not, should he die?

Is Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo aware that VANDALS are been maltreated by those of Sarbah hall for responding to a harmless slogan “V-MATE! SHARP!” in front or around Sarbah hall? Is she aware…? Is she aware…?

In case, she is not aware the aforementioned are some of the uncivilized things they do in the University.

If indeed management wants to get to the bottom and end this long-standing feud between these two rival halls, then Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo must put aside her emotional sentiments and her obvious hatred of the VANDALs and tackle the matter as a responsible and unbiased mother.

Let’s call a spade a spade, the decision of the University council defies common sense and logic for them to have jumped to a conclusion while the matter at hand is pending investigation.

Let us be guided by the truth and common sense and ensure this matter is resolved amicably.

The Truth shall Triumph

TRUTH ALWAYS STANDS