Some students of the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) have been assaulted by the Police during a protest against management of the institution over alleged misappropriation of funds, neglect of student welfare, and a proposed increase in school fees without justification.
The agitating students raised concerns about the removal of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) representatives from the fees-fixing committee, as well as delays in the release of SRC funds.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Director of Finance Must Go,” “Fix TaTU Now,” “No Infrastructure,” “Fix Our Hostel,” “End Open Defecation on Campus,” and “Free Us From Petty Democratic Challenges,” the protesters began their march peacefully from their hostels to the administration block.
However, the demonstration turned chaotic after police officers deployed to the scene fired warning shots and sprayed hot water to disperse the crowd.
In response, some students hurled stones at the officers and burnt car tyres in front of the administration block. Several students sustained varying degrees of injuries during the clashes.
Police officers are seeing a viral videos physically assaulting some of the protesting students.
The protest followed a failed meeting held on Monday between the SRC, the Fees Fixing Committee, and university management, which ended without resolution.
Allegations of mismanagement
Addressing the media, the President of GRASAG at TaTU, Abdul Ganiwu Inusah, accused management of misusing Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and neglecting student welfare.
He called for an independent investigative committee to probe the allegations, stressing that the Ministry of Education should commission a forensic audit of TaTU’s IGF, including hostel revenues and student fee utilisation over the past five years, to be conducted by KPMG or a similar firm.
He further demanded that management suspend any fee increment until the audit is completed, findings are made public, and service delivery gaps addressed.
