UTAG fears disruptions in UEW academic calendar over chaos

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) is calling for calm at the University of Education, Winneba.

The Association insists that the call is necessary to prevent any negative consequences of the recent troubles on the academic calendar as well as the general output of the institution.

The Central Regional Security Council, last Thursday shut down the school indefinitely after a 3-day protest by students which ended in the destruction of several school properties.

The students were demanding the reinstatement of some lecturers who have been sacked.

Dr. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the UTAG Secretary at the University, tells Citi News, there is the urgent need for things to be normalized at the University so academic work can resume.

“Our vision as UTAG especially when it come to UEW is that the management did not adhere to the call of the president because if within this spate of time, less than 6 months thereabout and you have all these kind of things happening, it is not right,” he said.

There has been ensuing chaos at the UEW campus owing to what has been described as a leadership crisis.

There have been calls for the Vice Chancellor of the school, Prof. Afful Broni to resign. The demand is also accompanied by calls for lecturers and other staff who have been sacked to be immediately reinstated.

The situation has led to series of protests by students, including a violent one on Thursday that resulted in the destruction of several school properties, forcing the police to fire tear gas to disperse the angry student protesters who were at the time pelting stones at the security officers.

Meanwhile the University of Education, Winneba remains closed, as students were directed to vacate the campus on Thursday.

The Central Regional Minister, Kwamina Duncan on Thursday justified the Regional Security Council’s decision to shut down the University of Education, Winneba, saying the move was to prevent further destruction of the institution’s properties.

“We needed to do what we did because the students were chanting war songs and all that. It took the Kasoa division, Mankessim division and the Cape Coast division to handle the situation. The Regional Security Council by its mandate is supposed to ensure that the town is secure,” he said.

Reports indicate that there is heavy police presence at the University following the closure of the school.

A committee constituted to evaluate the extent of damage caused in the school has reportedly recommended that students of the school are surcharged to pay for the destruction.

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By: Kojo Agyeman | citinewsroom.com | Ghana