UG-UTAG demands apology from National Security Minister over presence of operatives on campus

The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG, had expressed its strong condemnation of the presence of National Security operatives on the University of Ghana campus.

The national security operatives had been deployed to oversee the just ended election of the new leadership of the Students Representative Council on October 20, 2021.

However, the UTAG in a statement sighted by Dennislaw News has noted that such an action constitutes a violation of the rights of the students, academics and staff of the University community.

“The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) takes serious exception to the intrusion and strongly condemns it as a blatant move to undermine academic freedom and the right of students to freely exercise their democratic choice,” the statement noted.

The Director of Public Affairs of the University, Elizier Taiba Ameyaw-Buronyah had insisted last week that the presence of the national security officials was to ensure a peaceful election.

She had said at the time, that “I don’t agree with this submission made by students. When there are elections, the university security is around to ensure that everything goes on well. Anything can happen when there is an election.”

“They [had] gone far in their elections and we [hadn’t] heard of any violence or any problem. I am not of the view that they [national security personnel] [were there] to cause violence or to initiate violence or anything of the sort. They [were] only helping to keep calm.”

However, UG-UTAG has chided the PRO for these remarks, noting that she “may have misspoken.”

The Association observed that the Basic Laws of the university afforded it some institutional autonomy that could only be sidestepped through proper procedure.

It has thus called on the Minister of National Security “to provide an explanation and apology for this infringement,” noting that such an action will not be condoned in the future.

Read the full statement below;

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE INTRUSION OF NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF GHNA CAMPUS DURING THE RECENT STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION

Our attention has been drawn to the invasion of National Security Personnel on the University of Ghana campus, to police the just ended Student Representative Council (SRC) election, on October 20, 2021, without the knowledge, consent, or authorization of the Management of the University. We have also seen online media reports that suggest that

the University has accepted and justified such intrusion. We respond as follows:

1. The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) takes serious exception to the intrusion and strongly condemns it as a blatant move to undermine academic freedom and the right of students to freely exercise their democratic choice. Any official of the University who may have granted an interview to suggest a justification of such intrusion by the National Security may have misspoken. By the Basic Laws of the University, universities are entitled to enjoy some institutional autonomy, and their campuses are expected to be out of reach of security personnel, except where invited by the management of the universities themselves. To ensure law and order, public universities have their own security personnel and can call on regular security agencies for reinforcement when the need arises.
2. Article 14 of the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility provides that “the State shall not deploy any military, paramilitary, security, intelligence, or any like forces within the premises and grounds of institutions of education.” It states that, where such deployment becomes necessary in protecting life and property, three key conditions must be satisfied. First, there should be a clear, present and imminent danger to life and property. Second, the head of the institution concerned must extend a written invitation to that effect. Third, such an invitation must be approved by an elected standing committee of the academic community set up in that behalf. Clause 19 of the UNESCO Recommendations on the Status of Higher Education Personnel (1997) also stipulates that, “Member States are under an obligation to protect higher education institutions from threats to their autonomy coming from any source.” The instruments are considered as important pillars for upholding academic freedom in universities, which Ghana is obliged to respect, in line with the relevant provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
3. The National Security intrusion violates the rights of not only the students but academics and staff, who together constitute the academic community. Students have the right to conduct their elections and select those who must lead them, and the universities have their own internal security arrangements that competently oversee such processes. We, therefore, condemn the National Security intrusion on campus as an attack on academic freedom. We unequivocally assert our right to academic freedom as provided under the 1992 Constitution and invite the Minister for National Security to provide an explanation and apology for this infringement. We further give notice that, we will not condone any such intrusion in the future.