His comments come on the back of recent interhall clashes on the campuses of the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Addressing the leadership of the National Union of Ghana Students at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, August 31, the president indicated that there was no benefit in violent clashes which ultimately leads to the destruction of properties when dialogue was available.
“I can’t see that anybody benefits from that kind of behavior,” President Akufo-Addo said.
For the president, it was very distressing to hear of such incidents student activities that ought to be devoid of such.
He encouraged students to engage in dialogue where everybody puts their cards fully on the table.
“It’s distressing to wake up or to hear that students activities which ought to be, normally, without violence end up in halls fighting each other and destroying properties,” Akufo-Addo added.
Commonwealth-Sarbah Hall residents clash at UG
Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah Hall residents at the University of Ghana clashed on the evening and early hours of Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6, 2022.
The clash between the rival halls led to the destruction of several properties including the burning of a car and the bust of John Mensah Sarbah taken away.
Since the clash, the management has banned all student gatherings and processions outside the precincts of all halls until further notice.
It has relieved the hall master and senior tutor of Commonwealth Hall of their positions for failing to cooperate with investigations into the matter. The hall has also been surcharged with the cost of damage to Mensah Sarbah hall.
Agitated residents of Commonwealth Hall clad in red on August 16, protested the decision by management to suspend their hall master and senior tutor.
The situation led to heavy deployment of security personnel to the campus to maintain law and order and to also forestall any clash.
Conti-Katanga Hall clash on KNUST campus
On the evening of August 18, there were violent scenes on the campus of KNUST as students of Unity Hall popularly known as Conti and University Hall popularly known as Katanga hall clashed.
In an interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio, the University's Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, explained that the attack was occasioned by a procession by Katanga Hall boys to mark their hall week celebration.
According to him, when they got to Conti, the Katanga boys together with colleagues from Casely Hayford, Casford, from the University of Cape Coast; launched unprovoked attacks on the Conti hall residents.
He narrated that the Conti Hall residents retreated, however, the Katangese continued their onslaught leading to the destruction of several properties.
Post the violent scenes, the management of KNUST has suspended all hall week celebrations and processions indefinitely and has banned the JCR system of hall governance.
Two KNUST students are also facing prosecution by the police in Court while the Service has secured warrant to arrest 62 persons.
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo