First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has directed the Education Committee of Parliament to investigate the University of Ghana for disregarding an Accra High Court order to stop implementing a new residential policy.
At the beginning of the 2022/2023 academic year, some students of the University secured an injunction from an Accra High Court to prevent the university from implementing a new residential policy that allows only Level 100 students to occupy both the Commonwealth Hall and the Mensah Sarbah hall.
The injunction seems to have been flouted as level 100 male students were admitted into these halls with continuing students being moved to UGEL Halls during the first semester of the academic year.
The Deputy Speaker went on to bemoan the University’s Council Chairman’s (Dr. Sophia Akuffo) stance on the order.
He noted that her former position as Chief Justice should have influenced her to respect the court order.
“I would refer this statement to the Committee of Education and urge them to engage the University and to report to us why the University authorities, headed by the immediate past Chief Justice – she is the Chairman of the University Council, so we expect that she will ensure that the sanctity of the court order is respected,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker’s directive follows a statement made on the floor of Parliament by the MP for Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak.
The statement condemned the new residential policy of the university and called on the University to respect the court orders.
“Mr. Speaker, we call on you and this august House and all well-meaning Ghanaians to join us to impress upon the University of Ghana to do the needful by respecting the laws of the land.”
The new residential policy was first implemented in October 2022, following a clash between the Mensah Sarbah hall and Commonwealth Hall.
The policy prevented continuing students from the above-mentioned halls from being admitted into the traditional halls and moved them to UGEL halls on the University campus.
The policy also created an in-out-out-out residential system for all students that allows students to occupy traditional halls in the first year and move them to the UGEL Hall or private hostels on campus after the first year.
