A Cape Coast High Court III, presided over by his Lordship, Justice William Boampong, has overturned a decision by the University of Cape Coast to rusticate twenty-two (22) students of the University for their inability to ensure peaceful celebration of their hall week at the university.
The university is also required by the court to pay Gh¢10,000 to each of the 22 students rusticated wrongly in March this year.
They are also required to organise remedial classes for the affected students who were due to graduate this year to ensure they catch up with lectures and also graduate.
The rusticated students, mostly members of the executives of the Atlantic Hall of the university, were to stay at home for two to four semesters for their various roles in the violence that resulted in the destruction of the university’s properties and injury to some students.
The punishment, according to the Public Relations Director of the University, Major Kofi Baah Bentum (rtd), was not because they were involved in the violence that occurred but because they had taken responsibility for the violence that occurred,
They are Mr Enoch Abeiku Bart-Plange Tawiah, Bachelor of Education (Management); Ms Rose Attah, Bachelor of Commerce; Ms Mabel Anokwah, Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting); Mr Benjamin Sarfo, Bachelor of Commerce, and; Mr Fred Appiah, Bachelor of Commerce (Finance).
Others are Mr Teddy Agyei-Darko, Bachelor of Commerce; Mr Lawrence Adu, Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting); Mr Collins Kaninge Sunglayeng, Bachelor of Education (Basic Education); Ms Mary Adu, Bachelor of Science (Nursing); Mr Michael Hamoulton Bada, Bachelor of Management Studies; Mr Seth Osei Amoah, Bachelor of Education (Management); Mr Raphael Oteng Ahenkorah, Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences); Mr Patrick Owusu, Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences); Mr Godfred Nana K. Ogoe, Bachelor of Education (Arts), and; Prince Atta Senior Sarfo, Bachelor of Education (Social Sciences).
The rest are Ms Francisca Nyamekeh, Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education); Mr Peter Amoah Donkor, Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences); Richmond Adobe, Bachelor of Education (Mathematics); Mr Sekyere Quansah, Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences); Mr Richmond Owusu Sekyere, Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology); Ms Ruby Dela Nutor, Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences), and; Mr Ferdinand Odame Kusi, Bachelor of Education (Mathematics).
It will be recalled that on March 10 this year people were left injured as a result of a clash between students of the UCC and some students of the University of Ghana (UG) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The riot was said to have begun when visiting students of UG and KNUST, as well as some students of the Atlantic Hall of the UCC, wanted to enter the Oguaa Hall.
The students of Oguaa Hall prevented them from entering the hall and, in the ensuing melee, the rampaging students vandalised some rooms in the hall, and smashed the windscreens of the Oguaa Hall bus and some vehicles parked in the vicinity.
One student who sustained a spinal cord injury after he had been stabbed several times in the spine was referred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
An administrator of the UCC, Mr Ebenezer Donney, who had gone to help control the situation, was also injured in the disturbance.
Story: From Philemon BUABENG, ATV, Cape Coast, Central Region
Writer’s email: philemonbuabeng1@gmail.com