The current situation in our three posed a serious problem to the development of our human resources. To all intents and purposes, one whole academic year has been wasted and like previous years, no graduates will pass out of our Univenities this year. In addition there will be no promotion of any student unto the next grade.

The combined effect of these unfortunate facts is that our sixth formers who are about to start their Advanced Level examinations have no guarantees as to what would happen to them when a new academic year opens. If even one had just one idea as to when the new year will open, some sort of arrangement could be worked out to seek solutions to these seemingly intractable problems.

As it is, the various University authorities had no option, but to close the institutions down in view of the considerable inaction on the part of the two key-groups which make the life of a University, namely, the students and lecturers. 

Much as one would not like to dwell so much on who influenced whom, it is clear that there was some kind of interaction between the two groups, albeit in a non-academic sense. 

The first signs of trouble in our Universities appeared when a little more than a year ago, the students embarked on an anti-government activity which called for some reaction from the Government. This set the scene for a joint action by various professional groups to which the lecturers later became affiliated. It was at that point that one discerned the emergence of an anti-government front between the professionals including the lecturers and the students.

It is now clear that this situation has over the months progressively d developed to a point in which the students gradually deviated from norn campaign against the government an activity which was ti-government literature

We are concerned about the effect this activity has had on normal academic life in our Universities. It is sad that at a point when it was almost certain that the academic life would return to normal, the lecturers decided to withdraw their services.

In all this, it is even more pertinent to note that a few fingers have been burnt in the process. One recalls for instance the recent motor accident on the Winneba road which claimed the life of a second year student of the University of Cape Coast and threatened that of the President of the National Union of Ghana Students. 

Again, one recalls the detention in protective custody, four students and a prominent lecturer whom we are told allegedly involved themselves in some form of subversion or the other. Any way one looks at these developments, one is moved by the effects such developments have on those who matter most to those involved.

Indeed, the death of the late Anthony Yorke cannot be as painful to whatever the cause of the students must be than to the bereaved family. In the same way, those in protective custody have

their greatest sympathizers among their close circle of relatives.

With the foregoing in view, we caution all parties concerned to exercise the greatest restraint in pushing their group interest on to the national level. This is even more important at a time like this where the aim of all of us should be reconciliation which would in turn, make the programme of the return this, the this, the nation need not suffer unduly.