def. No. AB.2 
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA 
Registrar’s Offices, 
Legon. 
13th February, 1974. 

EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WITH HEADS OF HALLS, SENIOR TUTORS AND THE DEAN OF STUDENTS 

A copy of the notes of the emergency meeting held on Monday, 11th February, 197, is attached hereto. 

(G.F. Daniel) 
for REGISTRAR 

DISTRIBUTION 
Vice-Chancellor 
Pro-Vice-Chancellor 
Dr. D.K. Acquaye 
Dr. K.E. Adjei 
Professor D.A. Bekoe 
Professor A.A. Boahen 
Dr. W.C. Ekow-Daniels  
Dr. J.0. de Graft-Hanson 
Professor K.B. Dickson
Professor S.R.A. Dodu 
Professor E. Laing 
Professor J.R. Koster 
Dr. S.I.K. Odoom 
Dr. E.N.W. Oppong 
Mr. J.E. Wiredu 

cc: Heads of Halls
Senior Tutors 
Dean of Students 
Deputy Registrars 
Senior Asst. Registrars 
Asst. Registrars 
Librarian, Balme Library  
Secretary, School of Administration 
Executive Secretary, Med. School 
Resident Tutor, Ext.Degree Centre.

NOTES OF AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WITH HEADS OF HALLS, SENIOR TUTORS AND THE DEAN OF STUDENTS HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER ON MONDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY, 1974. 

Present 
Members of the Executive Committee – Vice-Chancellor (Chairman)                                                          Dr. D.K. Acquaye                                                                                                                                                   Professor D.A. Bekoe                                                                                                                                                Mr. J.O. de Graft-Hanson                                                                                                                                   Professor K.B. Dickson                                                                                                                                       Professor S.R.A. Dodu                                                                                                                                            Dr. W.C. Ekow-Daniels                                                                                                                                         Professor E. Laing                                                                                                                                                    Dr. E.N.W. Oppong                                                                                                                                                  Mr. J.E. Wiredu 

Heads of Halls – Mr. H.C.A. Bulley                                                                                                                        Mr. S.0. Gyandoh                                                                                                                                                    Mrs. C. Kissiedu 

Senior Tutors – Mrs. C. Bannerman                                                                                                                      Dr. G. Benneh                                                                                                                                                            Dr. G.C. Clerk                                                                                                                                                              Mr. J.S. Jackson 

Dean of Students – Professor K.A. Dickson 

In attendance – Mr. E.A.K. Edzii (Registrar)                                                                                                      Mr. E.0. Dodoo (Deputy Registrar)                                                                                                                        Mr. S.B. Mfodwo (Deputy Registrar)                                                                                                                    Mr. G.F. Daniel (Recorder) 

The meeting commenced at 6.15 p.m. and the Vice-Chancellor reported that following the Government’s announcement on the radio at 1.00 p.m. that the Universities were to close down, he had issued notices asking all students to leave the campus by 6.30 p.m. According to the Government’s announcement, the closure was a result of student demonstrations since the morning. The demonstrations were apparently meant as a protest against an alleged beating up of a student, George Kwashi Doh, by the military at Ho. 

2. According to information received from Legon Hall, the student in question left the Hall without permission to visit relations in Ho. While in Ho, he had come upon some alleged suspects being drilled by the military. He found it necessary to protest whereupon he had allegedly been pounced upon and been given a severe beating by the soldiers. He had been locked up in custody and then taken to hospital and again placed in police custody and had then been brought before a court for obstructing law enforcement officers and being involved in a case connected with hemp peddlers. He had been released on 700 bail and been asked to reappear in court in Ho on 15th February. He had not been able to return to Legon till a week later. 
3. The Vice-Chancellor said that at 10.30 p.m. the previous night he had had the opportunity to address the S.R.C. executive while they were in conference over this matter. He suspected that they were planning a demonstration and had advised against it, pointing out that by resorting to a demonstration without obtaining a police permit they would be guilty of a breach of the law and their motives might be misunderstood in view of student disturbances currently raging in Nigeria, Sudan and other parts of Africa.

Besides, possible allegations of selfishness could be levelled against them since they had not protested against previously alleged maltreatment of other members of the public. Instead of a demonstration, he had suggested that they should document their grievances and present a petition for submission to the Government through the appropriate channels. He had been assured by members of the S.R.C. that his advice would be taken into account in reaching a decision. It was not until early in the morning that he heard the students had decided to demonstrate. 

4. The students had first tried but in vain to obtain buses to go into town. Undaunted, they had then marched as far as South Legon beyond which they could not go owing to a barrier which had been raised by the military. Through the intervention of various persons, opportunity was given for the students’ leaders whom the Vice-Chancellor accompanied to present their petition in person to the Acting Chief of Defence Staff, the Army Commander and the Commissioner for Education at the Ministry of Defence in Burma Camp. The petition urged that a Major Grant at Ho should be disciplined; there should be a decree against the maltreatment of civilians and the charges apparently pending in the courts against G.K. Doh should be withdrawn. Subsequently, the Vice-Chancellor together with the Army Officers was given the opportunity of meeting the Chairman of the N.R.C. who expressed surprise and concern that instead of presenting their grievances through approved channels, students in all the three Universities should have taken to demonstrations. He announced that the Government had decided to close down the Universities and all students were to be sent down. They would have to reapply to return and give guarantees of good behaviour before the Universities could be reopened. 
5. The Vice-Chancellor said the meeting of the Executive Committee with Hall representatives and the Dean of Students had been called to discuss ways and means of effecting a return to normalcy in the shortest possible time. He said in consultation with the other Vice-Chancellors, he was hoping to negotiate 20th February as the latest date so that lectures could resume on the 21st. He did not think that there was enough time between now and the 20th for students to reapply but it should be possible for students to sign guarantees for good behaviour on arrival on the campus before they were allowed into their rooms. 
6. In discussion, some members suggested that foreign students might be allowed to continue staying on the campus. The Vice-Chancellor replied. that as on the previous occasion, no exemptions would be made in favour of foreign students. Some members wondered whether the students could not be given some indication of the reaction to their petition before they returned. The meeting learnt that indications were that the charge against Doh might not be pressed. The Commissioner for Education had assured the students that their grievances would be investigated as gently as possible and the appropriate action taken. All these were already known to the students. The matter of students leaving the campus without permission was also to be examined internally. On developments in Kumasi and Cape Coast, the Vice-Chancellor said his information was that by 4.00 p.m. all the students had been removed from the campus in Kumasi by the military. Regarding Cape Coast, the allegation of a student having been shot had been checked with the Commissioner for Education and found to be untrue. 
7. The meeting dissolved at 7.15 p.m. Those present were urged to Communicate the facts to their colleagues pending formal notification by the Vice-Chancellor.