ABOUT 17,000 first-year undergraduate students and continuing students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology packed out of campus yesterday and headed to their various destinations after their institution was closed amid anti-vice chancellor protests that ended with violence.
The students told DAILY GUIDE they had been asked to resume on February 12, 2019 to take their mid-semester examinations, which would begin from February 15, 2019 to March 3, 2019 following the premature vacation.
The revised academic calendar, according to the students, has scheduled their end of semester examinations to begin from March 18, 2019 to April 6, 2019 which will be followed by a week vacation between April 7 and 14, 2019.
The students said a message sent to them by the Deputy Registrar in charge of academics expected them to register online for the second semester starting from April 11, 2019 to April 15, 2019 and do biometric registration from April 18 – 26, 2019, whilst they sit for the mid-semester and end of semester exams from June 25 to July 16, 2019 and August 3 – 28, 2019 respectively.
After years of oppression, according to the students, they finally revolted on Monday, destroying property of the university in protest as a way to send clear signals to authorities about their feelings.
The angry students, who accused the university management of subjecting them to unsolicited brutality by campus security guards, overturned cars, barricaded roads, destroyed motorbikes and documents, as well as vandalized a section of the university main administration block during the demonstration.
The students, who were armed with lethal weapons, including stones and clubs, reportedly assaulted a female staff of the university at the Republic Hall, rendering her unconscious.
Windows of lecture halls, offices, security posts and cars were smashed with staff of the university, including top managers and security guards, fleeing the scene to escape deadly attacks.
The Ashanti Regional Security Council (RESEC) headed by Mr Simon Osei-Mensah closed the university on Monday citing insecurity and the extent of damage of property.
Only some foreign students remained on campus after Tuesday’s afternoon deadline to vacate.
The university authorities shut down the institution and directed the students to vacate the campus on or before 12 O’clock noon.
The decision to close the university is set to interfere with the students’ academic calendar since exams were scheduled to begin later this month.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi