"Your Absolute Power After All Is Not Absolute!" - Efutu MP Tells KNUST VC

Member of Parliament for Efutu constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has blamed Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso and the school's authorities for the incident that occurred on the campus Monday.

According to the Efutu MP, the strict rules and policies implemented by the Vice Chancellor (VC) is the root cause of the student's demonstration which resulted in vandalism.

He explained that the VC has over the time become headstrong and adamant in his decisions, and would not even seek audience with the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh and stakeholders in the University to establish peace and stability in the school.

Hon. Afenyo-Markin noted that the VC seems to have caged the students, treating them like children when the University is supposed to be a place of freedom and expression.

Though condemning the students for vandalizing properties on campus, he told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' that the VC and the University authorities should bow their heads in shame as the incident was avoidable if only they had sat to jaw-jaw with the students.

He wondered why Prof Obiri-Danso appeared to have grown wings that he wouldn't grant audience with stakeholders including the Sector Minister till the situation had to aggravate.

“What has happened at Tech (KNUST) is a shame . . . Now the Minister that you wouldn’t want to sit with him is going to order you to do what is needful. So, your absolute power after all is not absolute. VC of Tech, after all, your absolute power is not absolute! You forgot that to a certain extent, the State has a responsibility to protect; so the State will intervene,” he stated.

Hon. Afenyo-Markin also warned other University Chancellors to take a cue from the KNUST incident and not infringe on the rights of students on various campuses.