VC of STU, Prof. Adinkra-Appiah addressing the students
The Vice-Chancellor of Sunyani Technical University (STU), Professor Kwadwo Adinkra-Appiah, has expressed worry over what he terms as “fast rising students’ vigilante groups” in academic institutions especially tertiary institutions.
Professor Adinkra-Appiah said this when he addressed the 23rd Annual Matriculation Ceremony of the technical university last Saturday in Sunyani.
He asserted that if these vigilant groups are not checked quickly in tertiary institutions, the situation would continue to lead to demonstrations and destruction of school properties, causing delay in academic calendars. He observed that though these groups want their voices to be heard on school management, they are using wrong methods of communication.
In a close discussion with DAILY GUIDE after the ceremony, Prof. Kwadwo Adinkra-Appiah said what happened at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was as a result of students’ vigilantism, which led to the destruction of over 30 vehicles belonging to the institution. According to him, the KNUST students must be made to pay for the cost of damage which stands at GH¢1.7 million.
He noted there were similar agitations from the STU Students Representative Council (SRC) to his office to sack the dean of students, Cassius Amoako, because the SRC said they had lost confidence in him. Their reason was that he had served the school for more than 10 years.
He revealed that he had to tactfully and immediately organize a stakeholder’s meeting involving school management, students and parents to address the issue internally before it could get out of hands and disrupt the academic calendar. “We had to prevail on the dean of students to resign to avoid demonstration against the STU authorities,” added.
He advised the students to be law-abiding by obeying school rules and regulations to avoid clashes with school authorities. Prof Adinkra-Appiah said students are to be trained not only for academic purposes but to nurture good characters in them which would enable them become responsible citizens so that they can contribute positively to national development.
He encouraged them to follow laid-down procedures to address their grievances. He also called on school management, staff and stakeholders of various institutions, especially tertiary institutions, to desist from authoritarian leadership style to address concerns of students but use dialogue to solve problems.
This year, 1,914 students were admitted out of 3,137 prospective applicants for various programmes.
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FROM; Prince Fiifi Yorke