The Student Representative Council of the University of Cape Coast is asking students who have been rusticated by the University to defy the disciplinary action.
Speaking to Joy News in Cape Coast, the SRC president, Tony Henry Arthur says, the students cannot heed to the directive of the University when they have not been officially communicated to.
He wants the 22 affected students to continue writing their exams and not to vacate the university premises as directed by the university authority.
According to him there were procedural deficits in communicating the outcome of the investigations to the students.
In what may be described as an awkward demonstration of leadership by example the SRC president led the affected students into the exam hall to write their exams, Joy News’ Central Region correspondent Richard Kojo Nyarko reported.
The reaction by the SRC president follows a decision by the university authorities to rusticate 22 students who are leaders and executives of the Atlantic Hall (ATL) and members of the organising committee of the hall week celebration.
Whilst some were suspended for two semesters others received a four semester suspension from the school.
The information was contained in a Notice of Rustication issued by the university which read: “The following students have with effect from the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic year been rusticated from the University for the periods indicated against their names for roles played in the Disturbances at the Oguaa Hall on Friday, 17thMarch, 2017, during the 2017 ATLANTIC HALL WEEK celebrations.”
Violence between students of ATL and the Uguaa Hall during the former’s Hall week celebration led to severe injuries to two students and the destruction of school properties.
The University authorities constituted an eight member committee to investigate the incident and recommend disciplinary sanctions.
The committee found after investigations that the hall executives failed to prevent their traditional allies from coming to the hall to participate in the hall week, something they were expected to do.
The Committee also named one student, Mr. Enock Abeiku Bart-Plange Tawiah, who they alleged led the ATL students to invade the Ogua Hall.
“The Committee recommends that Mr. Bart-Plange Tawiah should be rusticated for four (4) semesters with effect from the Second Semester, 2016/2017 academic year. Mr. Bart-Plange Tawiah is, therefore, expected to report at the beginning of the Second Semester, 2018/2019 academic year to continue his programme of study.
4. The other twenty-one (21) students made up of JCRC executives and the Planning Committee showed disregard to University Authorities and were negligent in their duties, thus leading to non-compliance with directives from the Dean of Students,” the committee said among other disciplinary actions.
But the affected students are up in arms with the disciplinary decision and have threatened legal action.
The SRC has also risen to the defence of the affected students.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
