THE HEADQUARTERS
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF CAPE COAST
CAPE COAST, GHANA
November 4, 1968

Our Ref. NUGS/SCR/1/1-68
The Chairman,
University Council,
University of Ghana,
Legon, Accra.
Sir, 

CLOSE-DOWN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA. LEGON

At a conference of delegates of the Students’ Representative Councils of the University of Science and Technology, the University College Cape Coast and the Executive of the National Union of Ghana Students held at the University College of Cape Coast on the 1st November,1968, where circumstances leading to the close-down of the University of Ghana, Legon, were fully examined, we have found it most expedient to submit the following for your scrutiny since this matter has become a national issue.

According to clause 22 of the University of Ghana Statutes:

“(a) Except with respect to matters falling within the competence of the Councils of Halls and other residential facilities under statute 26(a) it shall be the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor on the advice of and in consultation with the relevant Dean of Faculty, if any regulations made by the Academic Board, to provide for the discipline of Junior members of the University.

(b) The Vice-Chancellor may make such delegation of this authority, subject to such review procedures, as to him shall seen appropriate”,

and clause 26(a) of same,

“The Council responsible for the management of each Hall or Residential facility shall be responsible for taking disciplinary action against any Junior member with respect to breaches of discipline of the Hall or facility provided, that where the breach of discipline results in dismissal or is in the opinion of the Council a major breach of discipline, the matter shall be referred to the Vice-Chancellor for decision”, and also noting that the punishment meted out to the students concerned was of the nature which falls short only of dismissal from the University it is evident that the offences, for which the penalties were inflicted, were regarded on their merits as major breaches of discipline since there are available, for the discipline of junior members of the University, categories of punishment which follow this ascending order according to the seriousness of the offence:

(i) Fine,

(ii) Gating,

(iii) Suspension:

(a) For a period of less than 28 days and

(b) For a period of more than 28 days

and

(iv) Dismissal.

The two categories of suspension, owing to the existence of the “28 days clause” in a Hall discipline system, determine obviously the transition from what could be considered as a minor breach of discipline (falling within the competence of the Hall Council) and also that of “a major breach of discipline” for which reference shall be made to the Vice-Chancellor for decision.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the Vice-Chancellor erred most grossly in the instant where he gave his wholehearted approval to the punishment meted out to the students without giving much regard to both the offence committed and the implications of the recommendations of the Hall Council of Mensah-Sarbah Hall, and thus flouted the demands of clause 26(a) of the University of Ghana Statutes.

At the moment, an advisory body responsible to the Vice-Chancellor has been set up to conduct the requisite enquiry into the Hall Council’s recommendations prior to the necessary decision of the Vice-Chancellor. Thus, the question of including the “suspension of penalties” in the terms of reference, though found appropriate by the Vice-Chancellor, does not arise at all. In principle, the setting up of the Appeal Committee, though rather bloated, nullifies the earlier erroneous approval given to the Hall Council’s decision.

Further, we wish to state that the new terms of reference of the Appeal Committee set up to conduct the enquiry as presented by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana are not acceptable to the Students’ Representative Council of the University of Ghana since “the Students’ Representative Council considers this attitude of the Vice-Chancellor as a declaration of no confidence in the Pro-Vice- Chancellor and the Executive Committee of the Academic Board. It also generates the fear that the findings of this Appeal Committee may be equally treated with contempt by the Vice-Chancellor who now describes the Committee as purely advisory”.

We believe that this issue, as mentioned earlier, is fundamentally one based on priorities. It may be argued that the terms of reference for the enquiry should not be treated in isolation but rather as part of a whole, or that there has been no change in the terms of reference: yet it is worth noting that the earlier terms of reference as defined presuppose the awareness of the error caused by the Vice-Chancellor’s reckless approval of the Hall Council’s decision, and thus demanded that the Appeal Committee should make a recommendation on the “suspension of penalties” at its first meeting.

The Appeal Committee had its first meeting on Friday, the 25th of October, 1968, one full day prior to the return of the Vice- Chancellor from an East African Tour. Thus, we are inclined to hold the view that the need for “clarification” of the terms of reference and the apparent compromise of residing the punished students at Achimota at the expense of the University of Ghana was prompted by a possible recommendation of the Appeal Committee at its first meeting demanding the suspension of the penalties.

We therefore, wish to implore you to consider the following in the light of the above:

(i) That the entire student body of the University of Ghana, including the four suspended students, should be readmitted into residence, and the final year results of the student concerned released since,

(a) There is no justification for the involvement of the entire or majority of the student body in the violence connected with the recent student demonstrations on the campus, and that we believe there has been a gross victimisation of innocent students, and their academic progress will be grossly impaired by the close down; while noting that the inability of the student Representative Council to control the rowdy students outside the Vice-Chancellor’s Office indicates that the events there were due mainly to a few radical students,

(b) It is almost certain that some of the students who are now outside the campus due to the close-down will be required to give evidence before the Appeal Committee. This would obviously mean that the progress of the work of the Appeal Committee will be seriously impeded if such a need arises since the possibility of making the necessary contacts with the particular students, under the circumstances, is very likely to be limited,

(c) Should the Appeal Committee rescind or mitigate the punishment noted out to the four suspended students, their long absence from the campus will be detrimental to their academic work in the institution,

(d) withholding the final year results of a student, apart from constituting a lamentable blow to his livelihood is a serious loss to the National Economy.

and (ii) That the attitude of the Vice-Chancellor to the causes of developments on the University of Ghana campus leaves a lot to be desired and that this significant aspect of the circumstances leading to the close-down of the University of Ghana should be given the requisite consideration by the University Council.

Finally, we wish to entreat the University Council to ensure that there is no victimisation of any student after the return to normalcy in the University of Ghana, and also that arrangements should be made to rectify the consequences of the close-down and compensate the effect of the Police action on the students, particularly the wounded students, both academically and financially where necessary.

We would like to take this opportunity to assure the University Council of our sincere co-operation in the settlement of this delicate issue, and we shall be most grateful if the University Council could give an early and favourable consideration to our petition.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

NATIONAL UNION OF CHANA STUDENTS
(Sgd.) Y. Owusu-Bamfo
PRESIDENT.

c.c. The Chairman, N.L.C.
The Commissioner for Education.

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