Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Prof. Obiri-Danso during the tour yesterday
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has visited the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi to personally assess the extent of damage caused in the school by irate students recently.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is also the Chancellor of the university, visited the campus yesterday at lunch time in the company of the Vice Chancellors (VCs) of other public universities in the country.
The Asantehene was met on arrival by the embattled VC of KNUST, Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, and his management team, who led the Asantehene to inspect the affected places.
The cost of damage to various properties had been pegged at GH¢1.7 million.
Dressed in a splendid African wear, the KNUST Chancellor and his high-powered delegation, which also included some Asante chiefs, were first taken to the administration block to obtain first-hand information.
The Asantehene and his team were later taken to the Republic Hall, Commercial Area, KNUST Security Post, Dean’s Office and Bomso Gate where the students had caused massive destruction to properties.
They were also taken to the car park at the KNUST campus where many vehicles, mostly owned by KNUST staff, were destroyed by the angry students during the violent demonstration.
The Asantehene appeared to be overwhelmed by the massive destruction of properties by the irate students in the school within few hours.
Otumfuo, who returned to the country from a foreign trip on Sunday, walked through the scorching sun to inspect the affected places.
The campus had become a ghost town during Otumfuo’s visit as the students, especially the Ghanaian students, had complied fully with an order to leave campus following the temporary closure of the school.
At the tail end of the tour, Otumfuo and the other VCs assembled at the residence of Prof. Obiri-Danso to hold a meeting geared towards preventing riots in public universities in the country.
Sources indicated that during the closed-door meeting, the Asantehene and VCs spoke about the requisite procedures and mechanisms that should be adopted to help return normalcy to the KNUST.
Otumfuo reportedly stated that his prime interest is to maintain law and order so that academic work would resume in the school as soon as possible.
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Chief Of Staff
Even though the Asantehene did not speak in public about the sensitive issue, his Chief of Staff at the Manhyia Palace, Kofi Badu, addressed scores of media personnel that accompanied Otumfuo on the tour.
According to him, the Asantehene and his entourage were naturally not happy about the massive destruction of properties by angry students of the school.
Mr. Badu stated that Otumfuo was determined to help restore normalcy to the university, adding that the king would rely on all stakeholders in order to achieve his aim.
Prominent chiefs such as the Bantamahene, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia and Apagyahene, Nana Owusu Afriyie, as well as Ing Nana Poku Agyeman, Roads Director of Kumasi Metropolis, who is a grand nephew of Otumfuo, were part of the entourage of the Asantehene.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi