UEW Governing Council holds crisis meeting

The Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) will later on Monday hold a closed-door meeting after the closure of the Winneba and Ajumako campuses last Thursday, March 14, 2019, due to a violent demonstration by the students.

Sources within the corridors of the university have told Graphic Online that the meeting would focus on how to address the impasse which led to the students’ demonstration las week, reports Gilbert Mawuli Agbey.

After the meeting, the council will address the media on the standoff at the UEW and the way forward.

Before the meeting, members of the council would take a tour of the Winneba campus to assess the extent of damage caused by the demonstrating students last week which runs into thousands of Ghana cedis.

The Winneba and Ajumako campuses of the UEW were closed down indefinitely last Thursday by the Central Regional Security Council when a demonstration by students turned violent.

Meanwhile the Governing Council of UEW has called on the university community and students to remain calm as the council works to restore calm and normalcy to campus.

In a press statement signed and issued by Professor Emmanuel Nicholas Abakah, chairman, the UEW council appealed to all stakeholders to remain patient as the council would take the necessary steps to resolve the impasse to ensure reopening of the university.

According to the council, it had noted with concern the recent happenings at the Winneba campus, especially in relation to agitations escalating into violence on lives and properties, noting that “the university was currently assessing the damage caused and would further release a detailed press statement to address the issues including the misinformation that has taken the airwaves regarding the university”.

It stated further that the university is committed to the directive of Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Minister to close down the Winneba and Ajumako campuses of the university until further notice.

“Early next week council shall meet and details on the way forward for the university would be communicated to the university community and the general public” the statement concluded.

In a related development, the Concerned Youth of Winneba in a release signed by its Convener, Mr Umar Salam, have also condemned the vandalism of properties and the blocking of commercial roads during the demonstrations.

According to the group, they have noticed the questionable involvement of some elements who were neither students nor staff of UEW in these needless acts of destructions that marred the sanctity of the protests.

The group says they were also distinctly uncomfortable with the incessant and profuse interference of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin in the activities of UEW which had contributed to the impasse.

They have therefore called on the MP to stop interfering in the affairs of the UEW and allow management to develop UEW into a stronger teacher educational institution.

Some students of the UEW last Monday started a protest at the north campus in Winneba to register their displeasure about the dismissal of some of their lecturers.

The demonstration however turned violent on Thursday, March 14, 2019 when the demonstrating students went on rampage smashing the windows of some buildings and some buses.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan, acting on the advice of the Regional Security Council closed down the Winneba and Ajumako campuses indefinitely.