The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is one of the best tertiary education institutions in the country and arguably the best university in the area of science and technology.
In fact, it was judged the best in Africa in terms of quality education and the 14th in the World by the 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Ranking in April 2022.
But unfortunately, the university has been in the news lately not because it has come up with a new invention or achieved new heights but for crimes and violent actions allegedly perpetuated by its students.
GhanaWeb takes a look at instances the university has been in the news for the wrong reasons.
KNUST SRC president asked to refund GH¢9,100 for SA educational trip
The President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of KNUST, Michael A. Abuah, was the first person in recent times to make news headlines that tarnished the image of the university.
Michael Abuah was accused of using funds meant for an educational trip to South Africa for his personal benefit.
The management of the university recently asked the SRC President to refund over GH¢ 9,000 given him for the educational trip.
In a letter addressed to Abuah, the university asked that he (the SRC president) had to refund the money because checks conducted indicated that he did not go for the educational trip.
“The Directorate of Students Alton, under the authority of the Director, approved an amount of Nine Thousand, One Hundred Ghana Cedi (GH¢ 9,100.00) for your educational and leadership trip to South Africa as requested by the South African Union of Students (SAUS) in collaboration with the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG).
“Investigations, your personal testimony and handwritten statements have proven that you did not embark on the trip.
“You are by this letter instructed to refund the amount of Nine Thousand, One Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 9,100.00) by the close of day, Friday, 22nd July 2022 WITHOUT FAIL,” parts of the letter read.
Police officer, KNUST student remanded over gang rape charges
On Sunday, July 21, 2022, a police officer, General Lance Corporal Frank Adu-Poku and a final-year student, Joel Osei-Owusu, were arrested for allegedly raping a first-year student.
According to a report by 3news.com, the officer and his accomplice lured the victim into an off-campus hostel at Bomso, where they allegedly pounced on her and raped her in turns on Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
The Asokore Mampong District Court remanded the suspects for the first time on July 28, 2022. The court, for a second time, in August 2022, remanded the suspects, who were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and rape, into police custody.
6 KNUST students arrested for gang-raping first year student
For the second time in almost a week, the university was once again rocked by allegations of gang rape on Friday, 29 July 202.
According to a UTV news report, the victim, whose name was withheld, was the girlfriend of one of the accused persons, who invited her to have group sex with some friends through a text message, which she objected to.
The report said that the boyfriend, named Patrick Ofosu, a 19-year-old level 200 business administration student, then deceived the victim, telling her that the sexual encounter would be between only the two of them.
While the two were having sex, five other male students who were also in their second year entered the room. Owusu, after having sex with the victim, allowed his friends to take turns in raping her while he covered her mouth and held her down.
The Asokore Mampong District Court remanded all the accused persons into police custody. Aside from Patrick Fosu, the other accused persons are Edwin Nii Noi Quaynor, John Wilson, Kingsley Asiedu Andoh, Thompson Nii, and Assafua Eric.
Disturbing videos of violence during Katanga, Conti clash emerge
On August 15, 2022, the university again made the wrong headlines when its students who reside in the University Hall (Katanga) and Unity Hall (Continental) clashed.
The clash resulted in at least 11 students sustaining various degrees of injuries, with properties, including 11 vehicles, being vandalised.
According to a student at the university who spoke to GhanaWeb on condition of anonymity, the residents of the Katanga Hall deliberately attacked students of Conti while they were embarking on a procession.
“Katanga is having their hall week, and normally they go for a procession. Normally when they are going for the procession, they don’t pass where the Conti hall is. They started the procession around 4:30 to 5 (pm) there. It was about an hour of (the) procession. They waited for all the Conti hall students to come around before they went to pass there. The Katanga guys knew what they wanted to do. They wanted to have some kind of fight with the Conti guys. Yeah, it was deliberate,” he said.
“Last week Friday, Conti had their hall week, but with that, it was very, very peaceful because military men and police were around, so nothing really happened. I don’t understand why Katanga boys went on procession today [Thursday, August 18]. Normally it’s on Fridays,” he further intimated.
The management of the university has since banned all celebratory activities of the halls in the university, including Hall Week Celebrations, SRC Week Celebrations and processions.
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Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology