Otumfuo pledges to expedite processes for constitution of new KNUST Council

The Asantehene Otumfuo, Osei Tutu II, is continuing with meetings with all stakeholders at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as part of measures to resolve the impasse as Chancellor of the University.

A reliable source at the Manhyia Palace told Citi News the Chancellor yesterday met alumni and current executives of the University and Unity halls to get firsthand information on the genesis of the disturbances at the University.

The source says the Asantehene after the discussions also met executives of the Students Representative Council and called on all stakeholders to help in repairing the bruised image of the University.

The Chancellor has also indicated he will expedite processes to reconstitute the University’s Governing Council for academic work to resume.

On Wednesday, Asantehene met with the various unions of KNUST and urged them to help him deal with the standoff between them and the government.

The processes for the constitution of a new governing council for KNUST hit a dead-end due to an ensuing impasse between the government and the unions of the school over who qualifies to be a member of the council.

KNUST has been closed down for about 2 weeks following a violent student protest against the management of the school.

The government immediately dissolved the school’s governing council and constituted an interim council which resulted in several agitations and protest from stakeholders including UTAG and the association of University administrators.

After an intervention by the Chancellor, the government decided to allow him led the efforts to constitute a new council for the school to enable the school reopens on 8th November 2018, but the school did not reopen as the government and UTAG are challenging each other on the composition of the council.

The government believes no member of the dissolved council should be given a place on the council, but the unions insist that their representatives were elected democratically and cannot be forced out of the new council.

The new council was supposed to be constituted by last week Friday, but the impasse did not make that possible.

The school was to reopen on Thursday but that could not happen because of the impasse between the government and the unions.

source: citinewsroom