Conti Alumni Association storms Kumasi Stadium to protest against Education Minister ‘Napo’

Pulse Staff

September 9, 2019 11:15 AM

Alumni of Unity Hall (Conti) on Sunday stormed the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi to express their displeasure with the Minister for Education, Mathew Poku Prempeh, over happenings at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Conti storms Kumasi Stadium

The Education Minister, popularly known as NAPO, in a press release, requested the governing council of KNUST to reverse its decision to convert University Hall (Katanga) to an all-male hall, while snubbing Conti.

The Conti Alumni was agitated by the Minister’s release, and took advantage of the Kotoko-Hearts President’s Cup game to register their displeasure.

They showed up at the Baba Yara stadium to demonstrate over what they referred to as unfair treatment meted out to them by the Minister.

The Conti Alumni displayed placards with writings such as ‘Napo angers Conti’, ‘NPP underrates Conti’, ‘Conti is ready for boot for boot’, ‘Conti can react in huge numbers’, ‘the law is on our side to defend our legacy’, etc.

They also pasted some of the notices on vehicles that entered the VIP park to make known their grievances.

It would be recalled that the University council took a decision to convert three single sex halls to mixed halls last year; namely Africa Hall (all-female), Unity Hall (all-male) and University Hall all-male).

There was mayhem on the KNUST campus following the arrival of freshmen and this resulted in the destruction of property - continuing students of Unity Hall and University hall led other group of students to resort to violence.

The University was subsequently temporarily closed down and the Vice Chancellor Professor Obiri Danso was initially relieved of his duties, although he was later reinstated upon the request of the Chancellor, Otumfuo Osei Tutu.

A Committee that was formed to look into the cause of the disturbances by students recommend a solution to help avert such occurrences on the KNUST campus in future.

Pulse Staff