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Monday, May 31, 2010

Legon Saga: Kofi Annan Cannot Hide Behind His Honourable Nose!




Includes: Kwesi Pratt, Jnr., Explains  - A Rush Transcript And Translation Of The Famous Interview By Kwesi Pratt, Jnr: 'UG's Decision On Commonwealth Hall Is “Senseless”'
 
by Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro. 
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"So where are the Peace-keeping skills and negotiation skills?" At a university where you yourself are the Chancellor, what is happening is being done in your name, wherever this case goes it is carrying your name. We are appealing to Mr. Kofi Annan, can't he open his mouth just a little bit to say something to put an end to this matter? "Oh, Master, let us forgive and forget. They did not hoot at me, what they did did not bother me." Finished! End of the matter! Oh! We have been saying this over and over and over, master, I am very worried."

 Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, on a panel discussion on Peace Fm's "Kokrokoo" Programme, 11th May, 2010.
 
Why Kofi Annan Cannot Hide Behind His Own Nose?

This article is designed to interrogate the role of Mr. Kofi Annan's conspicuous silence in this matter. As Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe Jr., reminds us of the link between Kofi Annan's name with the current upheavals in the University of Ghana after an abysmal failure to distance Mr. Annan from "an affair of which the latter's name and personality are only tangential and/or incidental." Ridiculously, as Arthur Kennedy points out: "I am baffled by Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe’s claim that I have injected Mr. Kofi Annan’s name into the crisis unnecessarily. Right from the beginning, it was the University authorities who made the heckling of Mr. Annan one of the key reasons for their action. Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe himself wrote in his article that “The Legon Executive Council’s decision to gender-mix Commonwealth Hall follows the inexcusably boorish heckling of former UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and other dignitaries of both national and global renown, by a group of student residents of the Hall during the University of Ghana’s most recent graduation exercise. It is also significant to highlight the fact that Mr. Annan currently serves as Chancellor of Ghana’s flagship academy.” (See: "Re: Arthur Kennedy is being sexist and petty", Feature Article, Friday, 07 May 2010, Columnist: Arthur Kobina Kennedy, Dr., see also: "Arthur Kennedy is Being Sexist and Petty," Feature Article, Friday, 07 May 2010) Columnist: Okoampa-Ahoofe, Kwame.).

What this debate revealed is that no matter how you look at this trouble, you cannot extricate Mr. Annan's name from it. Very little wonder people from across the political spectrum in Ghana, including very well-known personalities like Dr. Arthur Kobinah Kennedy, former president of the Commonwealth Hall, (former NUGS president, former NPP presidential aspirant, former spokesperson of the Akufo Addo Campaign, a member of the Governing Board of the Danquah Institute, an Accra based right-wing think tank closely associated with the Akufo Addo campaign paraphernalia, and author of "Chasing the Elephant Into the Bush"). This is what Dr. Arthur Kennedy had to say on the subject:  

"Throughout this crisis, Mr. Annan has been cited as the face of those who were offended by the heckling. Since then, he has maintained a deafening public silence on the matter. But he must speak up because he is irrevocably linked to this crisis and the University’s reaction--- particularly because he happens to be the Chancellor of the University where all this is unfolding. He is a well-traveled man. He has visited many Universities. Does Mr. Annan really believe that Commonwealth Hall as we know it must be changed forever because he was heckled? The world watched in admiration as Mr. Annan stood up to the United States and lectured the most powerful nation on earth about its intolerance, of other nations and other opinions during the Iraq war. We all swelled with pride as he embodied world opinion and tolerance. The question is this: Will the man who stood up to US intolerance stand for Legon’s intolerance?" (See: Vandals Saga: Kofi Annan's Public Silence Is Deafening...Must Speak Up - Arthur K, 6th May, 2010).

Others on the other side of the political equation such luminaries as the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. The voices clearly cut across even the political divide in Ghana. The group, the Old Vandals Association, Alumni of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, have also "called on the former UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan to intervene in the decision by the University to convert the Hall into a mixed hall for Graduate students.At a press conference on Monday, May 10, the old Vandals Association John Mbroh, made the appeal to Dr. Kofi Annan, to intervene and get the University authorities to abort plans to change the status of the commonwealth Hall: “We also take this opportunity to call on his Excellency Kofi Annan to intervene in this matter…we note your excellent peace keeping skills from Iraq through Rwanda, Bosnia, Kenya and many other places…we plead with you to come to our aid,” he said.
“We also take this opportunity to call on his Excellency Kofi Annan to intervene in this matter…we note your excellent peace keeping skills from Iraq through Rwanda, Bosnia, Kenya and many other places…we plead with you to come to our aid,” he further stated.
(See: Kofi Annan Should Intervene In UG's Decision: OLD VANDALS, news, 10th May, 2010.  Citifmonline.com/Ghana,)


The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., after taking the authorities of the University of Ghana (UG) especially, its academic and executive committees "to the cleaners by describing them as being “senseless” regarding its decision to convert Commonwealth Hall into a Graduate Mixed Gender Hall," also concludes the panel discussion with an appeal to Mr. Kofi Annan: "Master, everyone respects Mr. Kofi Annan. One reason why he is so well-respected is his peace-keeping tactics and strategies. As soon as there is a problem somewhere they call him to use his peace-keeping skills, whether it is Kenya, here and there... Yesterday did you hear what the vandals said? The old vandals association? "So where are the Peace-keeping skills and negotiation skills?" At a university where you yourself are the Chancellor, what is happening is being done in your name. Wherever this case goes it is carrying your name. We are appealing to Mr. Kofi Annan, can't he open his mouth just a little bit to say something to put an end to this matter? "Oh, Master, let us forgive and forget. They did not hoot at me, what they did did not bother me." Finished! End of the matter! Oh! We have been saying this over and over and over, master, I am very worried." Contributing to a panel discussion on PEACEFM's "Kokrokoo”, Mr. Pratt said he was very disappointed at the way all "professors at the University were handling the issue concerning "Vandal City." (See source: Alex Ofei/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana)

It is also instructive to read the sense being made by the students: statement,

11th May 2010, on behalf of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS, signed by Mr. Wonder Madilo, current President of the NUGS: "The arrival at the decision to convert the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana into a mixed gender Graduate Hall even though the outcome of the supposed investigation into the alleged heckling of the former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan and other dignitaries when they attended this year’s congregation as punishment for the alleged heckling by the University authorities is in itself premature and a self distractive antidote to the peaceful environment both parties (students and University Authorities) seek to build. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) though not in support of violence and indiscipline of any shape or magnitude, we believe that the University Authorities should reconsider their decision. We believe that such decisions should be taken with some degree of circumspection with the view of dealing with the root-cause of the issue and not the symptoms."


Report of the Visitation Panel to the University of Ghana  

In the interview, Mr. Kwesi Pratt, Jnr. claims that, "Today the reports prepared about Legon, indicate that there are several places not fit for human habitation. A Report from a certain African group claims some of the accommodation facilities at the University of Ghana are not fit for human habitation. But these big men are sitting there, as soon as there is some money, they quickly pick it up to buy big cars. That is not something they consider important to address." I googled to find out more about this report. My google quest was: report about University of Ghana, Legon, claims some of the accommodation facilities at the University of Ghana are not fit for human habitation:


"Results 1-10 of about 8,750 for report about University of Ghana, Legon, claims some of the accommodation facilities at the University of Ghana are not fit for human habitation. (0.37 seconds)
11 Jul 2008 ... Nii Boi Tagoe runs the affairs of legon like a boy's brigade. ... panacea to the
challenges posed by inadequate accommodation was one which surprised ...
Students live in fear on the University of Ghana campus and student ... a raw
deal and live in conditions that are not fit for human habitation. ...
http://www.modernghana.com/news/174834/1/the-allegation-of-d... - 37k - Similar pages"
I was very surprised at what I found. I came across a press conference addressed by Mr Akyena Brantuo Benjamin (former President of Commonwealth Hall, University Of Ghana-Legon) at The Freedom Centre, Accra. (Press release, Thursday, 17th July, 2008):
'In the quest of Prof Tagoe to gag students and impose his will on everybody, he has prohibited all forms of student gatherings except those of them for which he approves of the agenda. As if that is not enough, his introduction of IN-OUT-OUT-OUT Residential policy has reduced the campus to only freshmen, who know too little to question the system, and a few final year students who are very busy with their academic projects and perhaps are too scared to be in the bad books of the Vice-Chancellor. Students live in fear on the University of Ghana campus and student leaders dare not talk or they risk their positions in the University. My predicament serves as a great lesson to them.

'Sir John Daniels, who chaired a visitation panel and led an eminent panel to evaluate affairs on the University of Ghana campus said '....students are not well represented on the governance of the university......they are not satisfied with the constitutional role of the dean of students and wish to represent themselves in discussions with the university authorities'...we recommend 'that the university introduces students representation on the council, the academic board, the faculty boards and committees of these bodies as appropriate'

'The University of Ghana currently is bedevilled with deep-seated corruption and very jaundiced financial administration that does not only sin against the public good but stifles academic work. The report of the visitation panel on the finances of the University is at best a disgrace to anybody who has anything to do with the institution and this captured in the part of which states that “The investigation uncovered little positive to be said about the finance administrative system of the university. The team's (visitation panel) view is that the financial administrative system at the University of Ghana is in a very bad state, is not providing anything approaching the services needed by the university, and needs radical change. (Again), the financial administration of the university is a serious hindrance to the work of many of the faculties and other units of the University, damaging its teaching, research and the students experience, through inappropriate procedures and controls. It is very widely seen as secretive, unhelpful and damaging to the university-(they recommended)-the finance office should have new leadership at an early date. This is very likely to involve the recruitment of a new finance director”

'Despite the outward beautification of the Legon campus, conditions within residential halls threaten life. Non-residents as well as residents pay hall attachment fees which are increased annually. In additional residential students pay residential fees as well as advances against anticipated damage to University property in the sum of about thirty Ghana cedis per student. Though students pay these amounts religiously they always get a raw deal and live in conditions that are not fit for human habitation. The visitation panel had this to say about the halls of residence...

“Some members of the committee visited commonwealth hall and found it to be in a very poor state. Student numbers were about four times the number that the hall was designed to accommodate. Hygienic conditions were bad; indeed the toilets were locked during our visit because of their horrible state and lack of water. All the students in this overcrowded hall have to use the surrounding bushes as their toilets. Every available space was utilised for sleeping. These conditions were impacting the students psychologically and some of them were vociferous in their protest. Lighting in the hall was inadequate and lights in the corridors were not working. The dining facility had been converted to reading space. The panel was told that the other halls were in a similar shape...” The committee therefore recommended that “the halls, particularly Commonwealth Hall, should be evacuated and rehabilitated before this degenerate further”'.

It has been seven months since this report was published and as to be expected the Tagoe-led administration has done nothing about it." (See: The allegation of death threat and the decision of the court and the current state of the University of Ghana, Press release, Thursday, 17th July, 2008, Modernghana.com).
If you want to know what is wrong with the priorities of the university administration and the stupidity of the current litigation, please read the The Exucutive Summary of the Report of the Visitation Panel. It shall be useful in understnading the frustrations of people like myself and Mr. Kwesi Pratt, Jnr., below:  
Audio Attachment: Listen to the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., during a panel discussion on Peace Fm's "Kokrokoo" programme, 11-May-2010   




Kwesi Pratt's Take on University of Ghana's Decision On Commonwealth Hall: Rush Translation and Transcript

KWESI: Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper.
KWAMI: Kwami Sefa-Kayi host of the Peace Fm's "Kokrokoo"  programme.

BEGIN QUOTE:

KWESI: This Vandals case, Master, if you are talking about it and you do not take care, you can easily cause an offence because there are aspects of the case that are so infuriating to the "first class" degree. Master Kwamena, isn't this annoying? Master, the people we are talking about, those who have provoked this matter, they are not like you and me. You and I cannot compare ourselves to them. These are highly trained professors. You see what I mean? Are these not the people who train lawyers at the university? We are talking about people who know the law, and understand jurisprudence who are doing this. When you come to science, chemistry etc, these are senior professors. They are not just "small" professors, these are professors as well as being grown ups. [laughter] And then you go and do such things, master, excuse me! Kwame, do you know something?

KWAMI: Tell me.

KWESI: There is a case. You yourselves have appointed a committee to investigate the matter. The committee that they have set up has not finished their investigations, and then you say you have taken your decision. If it had been a politician, Master, what do you think would have happened? Just imagine if it were not a university, and someone had set up a committee, and the committee had not finished its work and then you go ahead to take a decision, what do you think would have happened?

KWAMI: And had the committee not finished its work?
KWESI: The committee... they themselves admit that the committee has not finished its work. So on what basis are they taking all these decisions? That is one. Master Kwamena, secondly, eh?
KWAMI: Yes.
KWESI: Right now, they have announced that the highest decision body in the university has upheld the decision of the lower body. So what was the rush for the lower body to announce any decision when it had not even been approved by the higher body? What was the need for the rush? I just can't understand. Kwame, thirdly, hmm, the man I am going to talk about is very painful to me, but  what can one do? Master, when you come to sit in this chair, personal friendships and things of that sort are irrelevant. You see what I mean, eh?

...And Kwame, Professor Kwesi Yankah, eh? What he said, by the way, had it by any chance been ex-President Kufour or President Mills, who had said the same thing what would we have done? He said "The decision they have taken is not for discussion, it is for information and implementation." Have you heard? If you bring it in our language, he wants to tell us "he does what he likes, he does not care about whatever people say about it!" Bottom line, he does what he likes! Whether we like it or not, he does what he likes!

If we want, we can talk, but they are not going to take that into account. It is just for "information and implementation". I mean it is incredible! If the President of the republic cannot speak like that, eh? The president himself is not even allowed to speak to us like that, how come some university official? You see, you just can't understand this! The impunity, you know, the arrogance! It is incredible! You just can't understand this. The impunity, you know, the arrogance is incredible! Is it not the resources of all of us that was used to build the university? If our universities are unable to properly train the students, who are going to be future leaders, is the entire country not going to collapse on the heads of all of us? So we have a right to join the discussion! And if what we are saying does not matter, don't you see there is a huge problem there? If they are telling us that what we are saying is irrelevant, they would not take our opinions into consideration, we can go on talking, they don't care!

Can you imagine this arrogance? You see, I have been thinking a lot about this and I just can't understand! What is wrong with Ghanaians? If we get some small position we begin to think we are equal to God! I mean what is this non..? Jesus Christ!!! I can't understand. Meanwhile, Master Kwami, what is the sense in what they are saying? You say the university enrolment is going up, you see, and so the measures you are taking are meant to deal with the problem of rising enrolment and accommodation. Meanwhile these measures that you are taking will accommodate less students than the previous arrangement. So where is the sense in this? Master Kwami, really, where is the sense in this? You are dealing with the accommodation problem, OK, agreed. Master, do you know something?
KWAMI: What is it?
KWESI: What they are saying is that they are not just dealing with the rise in university population, but the rise in female university population. The women are a lot on campus. Logic: simple logic, so if  the population of the men also rises, there shall be the same thing in Volta Hall. If you look at it logically, it means any time there is a rise in the male enrolment, they would have to do a similar thing in Volta Hall. You see, it doesn't make sense. Kwami, there is another issue. Look, they are saying that the policy is in-out-out-in. According to their own announcements,
KWAMI: You mean the executive committee?
KWESI: Before, before, the policy was in-out-out-in. Is that not true? When you go to the first year, you get accommodation. Last year, you get accommodation. In between, you go home. The Commonwealth Hall also has registered students who are going to the first year. The disbandment of Commonwealth Hall means they cannot benefit from the in-out-out-in policy. So the Commonwealth Hall final year students are out of this. The first year students are out. The final year students are also out of this. So every Commonwealth student is out of this. What is the basis of this blatant discrimination against a section of the university? Discrimination, complete discrimination! It will apply to students who register in all halls but if you are in Commonwealth Hall, you are out of that, it doesn't apply to you. Somebody must explain the basis of this blatant discrimination. I don't understand that. It is discriminatory, complete! Master, in all these, what is the principal issue? You see, sometimes I hear people who agree with us say what the university authorities did was not good, but then they go ahead to say the students should go and apologize, or that they should be forgiven. If you ask  them what exactly was the offence, nobody is able to pin-point any crime.
KWAMI: Kofi Annan was heckled...
KWESI: Master, Master, ...
KWAMI: I mean they hooted at him and did some things that were not nice. They don't respect.
KWESI: Master, please we are on the air, so it is difficult to say certain things. Master,
KWAMI: Kwesi.
KWESI: Did you hear that these boys went to slap him? 
KWAMI: No.
KWESI: Or did you hear that someone used a stick, a stick, to scratch his car?
KWAMI:  No, I think they...
KWESI: Did you hear that someone... Please, I'm coming. Did you hear that someone stoned him? 
KWAMI: No.
KWESI: Master they were simply cheering him.
KWAMI: With some of them naked?
KWESI: They were just cheering at him! Nobody beat him, nobody insulted him,  nobody pinched him, nobody squeezed his nose, they were just cheering!
KWAMI: Some say these were negative fans.
KWESI: Nobody hit him, nobody pinched him, nobody bit him. Nobody pushed a pin into his skin! They were merely cheering at him! You know, what the university authorities are saying is why did they not allow a big man like him to go immediately? Not that they did not give him way because eventually they gave him the way to pass. Their issue is why they did not give him the way to go immediately! The place where the congregation was held was at the basket ball court. This basket ball court is accessible from GIMPA road, you can access it from the main gate and take the drama studio, left, to get there. You can go through the main gate and go straight to the Volta Hall. You can also approach it by appearing in front of the Commonwealth Hall or behind it. The routes to that place are more than ten.
KWAMI: Cafeteria
KWESI: You can also access it by the cafeteria. The routes to that place are more than ten. The university authorities know very well that every year, during every congregation the students from Commonwealth Hall march in a fanfare procession to the place with their new graduates. This is not something new. The last thirty years, forty years, it is a tradition that happens every day of the congregation, so the university authorities knew ten years before this incident. They new if Kofi Annan came and appeared at that place at that time he would meet this procession. They knew it.

  At this university, there not a single gate without a guard, so if the university authorities had planned properly and so on, they could easily have diverted Kofi Annan's convoy and that would have solved the problem neatly. They did not do their job well. They didn't anticipate properly and they are blaming these innocent poor students for the incident. How do you justify that?

Kwame, now I'm coming to the main issues about this vandal matter. Two main issues. First,these professors who are keenly involved in this, it is nothing but discrimination against the youth. Lack of respect for young people, that is what is appearing here. Look at the records of these professors. Why? We all know them. There are a lot of senior citizens who used to be at the Commonwealth Hall, what they did, these boys have not even done a quarter of it. During their time, nobody was arrested. No hall was disbanded. The little small things that these boys are doing, they are saying they should be allowed to hit their heads with clubs!

Would you remember? Around 1969, Prime Minister Busia went to the university, at that time, Professor Eboe Hutchful was then a post-graduate student on the campus, actually confronted the prime minister and told him that the car he came with was too big, and that he was wasting the tax payers' money. He should have ridden in a smaller car. Did they arrest Professor Hutchful? Was any hall disbanded? Do you understand? Put that aside, Professor Alex Kwapong, when he was a Vice Chancellor of the university, eh?  When he went to talk to the students, they threw a ripe and rotten papaw on his face and soiled his white shirt. Did they close down any hall? Put that aside. This one, I shall not mention his name because it is a serious matter: an important senior citizen, at one time, he became a chief vandal, what we know is that when you become a chief vandal, you have to do something special. This man rendered himself naked and walked like a zombie to the Volta Hall to go and piss there. [laughter]
KWAMI: Was he the one who became a minister in Ghana?
[laughter]
KWESI: Master, I don't want to mention his name. [laughter] Please don't go that way. [laughter] Master, which hall was closed down? Which hall was closed down? So these elders who set the example, these people who established these very same traditions, what they have done is worse than others.
KWAMI: They say another one went to bath at the Volta Hall.
KWESI: Oh, Master, what they really did is quite a lot! Those professors who feel they are paragons of virtues and so they set the standards. Today, the students of Legon are by far more well-behaved than those who came ahead of them. I am sure. Today they are just making noises. And they are saying they have not heard of something like that before. Those who hit professor Kwarpong with papaw those who confronted the prime minister which hall was closed down?

Today, maybe some people don't know what is happening on our university campus. Today if you attend lectures at the University of Ghana, if you are fifteen minutes late, there would be no place for you to sit down. You cannot attend the lectures because the space is so small. Today if you go to Legon, when they are going to lectures, some students carry their own chairs. Today lecturers are using public address systems because without it, the students would not even hear what the lecturer is saying.

You see? Today, if students want to go to the toilet, they go into the bush to do so because the toilet facilities are an eyesore. Do you understand? Today the reports prepared about Legon, indicate that there are several places not fit for human habitation. A Report from a certain African group claims some of the accommodation facilities at the University of Ghana are not fit for human habitation. But these big men are sitting there, as soon as there is some money, they quickly pick it up to buy big cars. That is not something they consider important to address.

It is in the same vein that one listener just send a text message that the computer illiteracy among lecturers is heavy. In these days, some of the lecturers are computer illiterates! If I am a computer illiterate, I can understand, but in these days, if you are teaching at the university and you are a computer illiterate, that is too much! That you would not pay attention to and address. Your library, Master, this library is not even worth being called a library. You don't address that. Irrelevant and extraneous issues are the kind of things that interest them.

Master, everyone respects Mr. Kofi Annan. One reason why he is so well-respected is his peace-keeping tactics and strategies. As soon as there is a problem somewhere they call him to use his peace-keeping skills, whether it is Kenya, here and there... Yesterday did you hear what the vandals said? The old vandals association? "So where are the Peace-keeping skills and negotiation skills?" At a university where you yourself are the Chancellor, what is happening is being done in your name. Wherever this case goes it is carrying your name. We are appealing to Mr. Kofi Annan, can't he open his mouth just a little bit to say something to put an end to this matter? "Oh, Master, let us forgive and forget. They did not hoot at me, what they did did not bother me." Finished! End of the matter! Oh! We have been saying this over and over and over, master, I am very worried.

 END QUOTE
Rush Translation and transcript by Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro

Over to you, Abam Kofi! Please, kindly use your peace-keeping skills to bring an end to this senseless litigation and help direct the university to get its priorities right!


Forward Ever! Backwards Never!!!

Cheers!

Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro

Twitter: /twitter.com/TheOdikro,
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