Conti, Katanga present petition to Council of State over conversion to mixed halls

Alumni and current resident members of Unity hall, popularly called Conti and University hall, a.k.a Katanga were all over Accra to express their displeasure over the decision of the authorities of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to convert the all-mall halls to unisex.

The demonstration which saw large number of past and present members of the two vibrant halls converge at the Obra Spot started at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and it was climaxed when a petition against the decision to convert the halls was received by the Council of State.

A similar petition was presented to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry in charge of Tertiary institution.

Members of the halls took to the streets in their customized shirts: wine for Conti and yellow and black for Katanga, matched through the streets, sang powerful jama and captured the attention of large number of people by the streets.

Background

The twist and turn about the conversion of the two great halls Unity Hall and Katanga into mixed sex halls heightened as the Dean of Students, Prof. William A. Gariba reiterated such intention bluntly on Sunday 28th of January, 2018 at the Student Chaplaincy Council service. This came as a shock as Continentals and Katangees alike were amused and disdained as they looked on that faithful day.

This statement affirmed the rumour which was wrangled amongst students since 2013 when the University council chaired by the late Paul Victor Obeng sat to decide on converting the two halls into mixed sex halls.

Dr Opoku Prempeh in latest twist, speaking at the 52nd Congregation Ceremony of the University says he fully supports the decision.

“Recently in Unity Hall, there was a demonstration because the University had attempted to make it a mixed hall. I received the protest notes but my conscience told me if there is any hall that can be made a mixed hall it is of course of Unity Hall… If we want to create an equal, level playing field we cannot insist that Katanga or Unity or any hall should be reserved for a particular group. So Katanga, take the women, be bold.”