The Katanga students demonstrating on the streets of Kumasi
A KUMASI High Court has dismissed an interlocutory injunction application filed by students of two male halls of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) seeking to prevent management from converting University Hall popularly known as Katanga and Unity Hall (Continental) to mixed halls.
The court, presided over by Justice Samuel Obeng Diawuo ruled that the defendants carried out the action, by issuing letters to students who have been assigned to the halls prior to the filing of the application.
Lawyers of the two students filed the application early this week praying the court to enjoin the university authorities to hold on the conversion of Katanga and Continental halls pending the final determination of the case brought before it.
The action follows a protest march recently embarked upon by hundreds of students, alumni and associates of the two halls on the streets of Kumasi in a wave of unrest over the conversion which the university authorities say is to make room for admission of more females into KNUST after an earlier one in the national capital, Accra.
The university authorities, on January 28, 2018, announced the intended conversion of University Hall (Katanga) and Unity Hall (Conti) to mixed-sex halls at the first Students Chaplaincy Council service.
Prof Gariba, who made the announcement, said continuing female students who were interested in staying in the halls would also be allowed room space if they showed interest.
The late Paul Victor Obeng-led council of the university decided and agreed on the conversion of the two halls to mixed-sex as part of solution to the rivalry between Katanga and Continental halls.
It took the timely intervention of the then President of the Student Representative Council, Ebenezer Bonsra and his colleague, Rashid-Kwesi-Etuaful, then President of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana for the decision to be deferred, after promising to find solutions to the constant feud between the two halls.
Among their numerous proposals put on the table were the organization of joint orientations for students of the halls, joint fun games and other common interest activities which assuaged the anger of the university authorities.
However, in the current case, students and alumni of the two halls said much as they recognized the many efforts of the Vice Chancellor in promoting female education in science, technology, engineering and math fields at KNUST, it is regrettable that such a noble agenda would be “shamelessly used as a cover up to pursue other nefarious intents.”
They claimed the decision to convert the halls had not been subjected to broad consultation among students, alumni, Ministry of Education, parents and other relevant stakeholders, let alone their interest.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi