Some stranded female Bolga Technical students at the entrance of the school
The Bolgatanga Technical Institute in the Upper East Region has temporarily been closed down due to students’ riot on campus.
The action was taken after the Acting Regional Minister and the Head of Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Tangoba Abayage, accompanied by the leadership of the education directorate in the Bolgatanga Municipality visited the school on Wednesday to assess the situation.
A DAILY GUIDE source said on the evening of Monday, February 15, 2021, a misunderstanding ensued between two Form 3 students, which got the attention of other students.
Soon, what started as an argument turned into a free for all fight by the students, which led to the destruction of school properties.
The fight continued throughout Monday night amidst gunshots reportedly fired by some of the students, until Tuesday dawn when school management called in the police and the military to bring the situation under control.
“The fight was just between two students over their personal issues and wanted to solve it their own way. After a short time, I saw groups of students coming to join and then they started throwing stones at each other. So, there were noises all over campus, and then, the school authorities came and intervened and the students scattered,” the student said.
He added that “but immediately the teachers left, which was after ‘prep’, the students started again, beating each other, some were holding knives and cutlasses chasing each other. They even wounded two students; now, I do not know their whereabouts.”
Another student said, in the morning of Tuesday, February 16, there were police and soldiers all over the campus but they left towards the evening when they thought they had brought the situation under control.
“On Tuesday evening the soldiers left, the school was quiet and then around 4:30 am on Wednesday the students started again and fought till morning. There was no one to stop the fight. Now we have all been asked to go home, because the school is not safe,” the student said.
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the misunderstanding had tribal undertones as students from two tribes were those fighting and destroying school property.
Last year, there was a serious fight in the same school, which led to the destruction of school property, and later the school was closed down. It is believed that the Monday fight was a continuation of last year’s ‘tribal fight’.
The Ghana Police Service has taken over the security of the school and all students have been asked to leave campus to their homes.
FROM: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga