UG Clashes: Management Condemns Acts; Says It Will Not Affect Academic Calendar

The Management of the University of Ghana has condemned the violent clashes allegedly involving students from Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah Halls on Friday night.

In a statement signed by the Registrar of the University, it described the clash as needless and instructed the feuding parties to halt any planned continuation of the fights. It also expressed its resolve to root out the offenders who will be brought before the relevant laws.

“Efforts to identify the pepertators are ongoing and those found culpable of breaking national laws or university regulations will be appropriately sanctioned,” it stated.

The statement, however, affirmed the resolve of the management to follow through with its academic calendar “without hindrance” while safeguarding peace and stability on all campuses of the university.

On the other hand, the Junior Common Room (JCR) of Commonwealth Hall has distanced themselves from the clashes. In a statement on Sunday, they called on the media to desist roping them into the clashes, noting that they knew nothing about what happened on Friday night.

At 10pm on Friday night, some students reportedly resident in Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah Halls engaged in violent clashes over an alleged intrusion by a Sarbah Hall resident into the Commonwealth Hall during the former’s “Sarbahfest” singing procession on campus.

According to reports, the mistreatment of the Sarbah Hall resident by a section of Commonwealth Hall residents triggered the fights.

A call for reinforcements by some Sarbah hall students escalated the fights, which lasted for over 2 hours. During the clashes, there was destruction of several properties, including cars in both halls, resulting from attacks and counterattacks.

Meanwhile, a team of police personnel led by the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, visited the campus of Premier University on Saturday to restore calm. Some armed police personnel have since been assigned there to maintain peace.

So far, no casualties have been reported.