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The running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was on Monday refused entry to the campus of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa in the Western region to address a public lecture.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) had organised the lecture for Dr Bawumia to address the students on campus but it had to reschedule the event at the last minute at a new venue outside the campus since the authorities of the university were said to have not approved the function.

However, Graphic Online gathered that the authorities had earlier given the green light for the function but had to revoke the approval because some students had complained that it was a political activity and sensing there could be chaos, it had to be cancelled. 

In a notice to the students, the SRC later explained that the public lecture had to be moved out of campus because, “some group of students whose identities are not known went to the Vice Chancellor (VC) without the knowledge of the SRC to exercise their displeasure of inviting the renowned economist to the public lecture.”

“The SRC have been tete-a-tete with the university on this issue which was approved in a previous meeting between the principal officers of the university and the executives of the SRC. However, the decision was revoked owing to the aforementioned reason by the same management team,” the notice said.

“We grossly exercise our disappointment to that effect and we stress on the point that, this has happened because of the eyebrows the alleged students have raised to the office of the vice chancellor,” it added. 

The notice said, “University Management sees it as a political affiliation to a certain party despite proven examples of same programs organised in similar manner.”

The Public Lecture however went ahead outside the campus later in the day on Monday at the St. Matthew Roman Catholic Parish Hall in Tarkwa , opposite Madam Obeng Bar (Behind Zenith Bank).

Free transport was provided to convey the students to the new venue for the address.

The university authorities are yet to comment on the development.

Graphic Online gathered on Tuesday morning that the university authorities and the SRC were meeting to resolve the impasse.

When the SRC President, Mr Ernest Kyei was contacted on telephone by Graphic Online, he confirmed there was a meeting to resolve the matter and declined to speak publicly on the matter.

Dr Bawumia has been touring tertiary institutions to preach the NPP’s message of change in the run-up to this years’ elections and was currently in the Western region.