Why Bawumia's lecture on campus was cancelled - UMaT explains (audio)

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Apr - 05 - 2016 , 13:12

The management of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) has explained that a planned lecture by the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on campus was cancelled because not all the students agreed and supported the programme.

In an interview with Graphic Online, the Registrar of the university, Mr Andrews Kingsley Doku said it was not true that Dr Bawumia was prevented from entering the campus as had been reported in sections of the media.

Rather, he said management had been informed that Dr Bawumia wanted to meet with them and they waited for him but he never showed up.

He said media reports that suggested that management prevented him from entering the campus was unfortunate.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) had organised the lecture for Dr Bawumia to address the students on campus as part of SRC celebrations but it had to cancel the event at the last minute.

Instead, the students wing of the NPP, TESCON took advantage of the cancellation and organised the event at a new venue outside of the campus.

The Public Lecture however went ahead outside of the campus later in the day on Monday at the St. Matthew Roman Catholic Parish Hall in Tarkwa.

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

Listen to Mr Doku's explanation here {mp3}umat_anthony_kingsley_doku{/mp3}

Mr Doku told Graphic Online that management initially gave 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 the first place, Dr Bawumia did not come to UMaT campus. We heard he would be in town and we were told he wanted to meet management of the university, I left office around 8pm and he never attempted to enter the campus, the university is a public institution and everybody has access,” Mr Doku said.

Throwing more light on the issue, he said, “On the 30th of March, the SRC executives led by its president came to us and said as part of SRC week, Dr Bawumia has been invited to come and talk on the topic: ‘Peace, a pre-requisite for economic development', so we asked them whether all the constituents of SRC had agreed and they said yes, and so we gave them the approval to go ahead to invite him.”

“The Vice Chancellor directed the pro-vice chancellor, me [Registrar] and the Finance Officer to give Dr Bawumia the necessary protocol that he deserves when he comes, in the presence of the SRC.”

“So we agreed that we were going to host him for him to deliver but later after the discussion, another group of students came to complain that they all pay SRC dues and SRC was politically neutral and so why should SRC use dues of students who do not belong to Bawumia’s party to invite him. When they raised the argument we saw some merit in it and management wanted to ensure peace and harmony for academic work

“We didn’t want any chaos on our campus and so we invited the SRC again and we told them the complaints that have been given by the other group and we were surprised when they said they had consulted all the constituents of SRC and that they had all agreed.

In order to avoid any chaos we advised them to look for somebody who was politically neutral to come and talk on the issues so that they should leave Dr Bawumia to be invited by his political group on campus since political activities are allowed on campus.

He said section one of the guidelines on political activities of the university states that: “political activities are permitted on the university campus as long as they are sponsored or hosted by registered student organisations and all expenses related to the activity are borne by the candidate in respect of students who are inviting him. A student political organization must initiate a request for an appearance of a candidate for public office or host a public event through University Relations Office to the Dean of Students for his/her onward recommendation to the Registrar for approval.

“So we agreed that they should rather ask the political group to which Dr Bawumia belongs to invite him so that it would not be an SRC issue where people will raise opposition.”

“We are surprised that it has been carried in the news as if the university hates Bawumia. We were happy he was going to meet us but he did not show up.”

On his part the President of the SRC, Ernest Kyei told Graphic Online they were surprised some students did not support the programme since it was not the first time that such a programme was being organised.

Listen to Ernest Kyei's explanation here {mp3}src_UMaT{/mp3}

Below are photos from the lecture which was held outside campus