Mr Adib Saani, a Security Analyst
Mr Adib Saani, a Security Analyst, says students found culpable for their involvement in clashes in tertiary institutions should be handed over to the Police and dealt with as “common criminals.”
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said if student lawbreakers were made to face the law, it would send a “clear signal” to others that they were not above the law and that the university environment did not provide them immunity.
“For years, the move has always been that students are made to face university’s disciplinary committee solely and in the worst-case scenario, they are dismissed but I think that if a criminal capability is established, culprits should be handed over to the Police so that they are dealt with as ‘common criminals’ just as is done to others who fall foul outside the school environment.”
Ghana, within the past weeks, witnessed two separate violent clashes by students at the University of Ghana (UG-Legon), and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), after hall week celebrations that degenerated into confrontations.
The clash at UG happened between the Sarbah and Commonwealth Halls, whilst the incident at KNUST occurred between Katanga and Unity Halls.
The clashes led to the injury of several students and the destruction of properties, including some vehicles.
Authorities of both Universities have issued statements condemning the act, with KNUST suspending all activities related to Hall Week and Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Week celebrations indefinitely.
At UG, the Hall master and senior tutor of Commonwealth Hall were suspended by the University authorities, with investigations ongoing.
The massing up of students for procession purposes, known in the University circles as ‘morale’, has also been barred.
Meanwhile, all the injured students have been treated at hospitals and discharged.
Also, investigations have commenced into the incidents to bring perpetrators to book.
Mr Saani, also the Executive Director, Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, said the clashes would not necessarily pose threats of terrorism, however, it could afford terrorist groups the opportunity to recruit some of the students if they found them with the potential.
“Terrorists are like scouts going out hunting for footballers so that they can make them professionals. So, these terrorists also go out looking for people to recruit and they take a lot of things into consideration, including their unruly behaviour,” he said.
He said if immediate counter measures were not taken, such violent acts could transcend beyond the university walls into communities, leading to greater levels of destruction, including death.
The Security Analyst said aside enforcing the law, diplomacy should also be used to handle such clashes.
He said the cancellation of Hall Week celebrations was the right direction in the interim, however, that step would not be enough as the students could always fight on another occasion or at a different venue.
Mr Saani said the universities should deepen the student-University Management relationship in a progressive way based on trust.
He said the student leadership should be properly involved in the University Management process to make them more responsible and have a better understanding of the implications of their actions.
“Let us not assume that they are kids and don’t understand anything. Most of them are adults and understand more than we think they do and when we involve them, I’m sure that it will reduce the spate of violence on campuses,” he added.
He advised students to always behave “intellectually” rather than being lawless.
“Ghana is a country governed by the rule of law and we have processes and procedures to follow. When you feel disgruntled, cheated, or unjustly treated you don’t need to take matters into your own hands but resort to the appropriate quarters.”
“There is no justification whatsoever for the actions in recent days as it doesn’t speak well of the universities and the students. These acts make some of us wonder what kind of graduates these universities are churning out,” he said.