Cape Coast Poly demonstrate against non-inclusion in Technical university
Lectures and students of the Cape Coast Polytechnic on Tuesday staged a demonstration against the non-inclusion of the polytechnic into the first batch of Technical universities.
Advertisement
The demonstrators, who were clad in red attires, blocked the entrance to the polytechnic and prevented movement into and from the campus.
Hostages
They held the polytechnic council members who were supposed to hold a meeting on campus hostage for hours. The students later presented a petition to the chairman of the council, Dr Don Arthur.
Although the content of the petition was not disclosed to the media, some of the aggrieved students alleged that even though their institution was ranked sixth by an expert committee panel, it was short changed.
The demonstrators also claimed that a deputy Minister of Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had influenced the selection process by replacing their institution with another one.
They further alleged that Mr Ablakwa was on record as having said he would use his influence, as a deputy minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Volta Region, to influence the selection process to include the Ho Polytechnic.
Denial
Mr Ablakwa has however denied the claims describing them as “wicked, maliscious, and absurd” insisting, “I have not said such thing anywhere.”
According to the minister, the Tamale, Cape Coast, Bolga and Wa polytechnics were being supported to meet the strict criteria being used by the panel of experts for a subsequent conversion exercise.
Other Trending Stories
Processes
He explained that the selection process was scientific and objective and, therefore, could not lend itself to manipulation or influence.
“Besides, the chairmen and members of the committees charged to recommend to the government how the mandate and vision as espoused by the President could be executed are people of integrity” he intimated.
The minister further indicated that, the six polytechnics that were assessed and recommended had satisfied the 16 point criteria that the Professor Adimado committee came out with.
Commitment
Mr Ablakwa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rebranding all polytechnics to cure the erroneous impression that polytechnics were low rated tertiary institutions.
“We will not collapse any polytechnic. It is our responsibility and interest to support all polytechnics to attain the new status as outlined in our manifesto. We are all on the same page, it should not look like one polytechnic is against the other,” he stated.