Law lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has described the University’s requirement for students to obtain approval from the Dean of Student Affairs before embarking on demonstrations as “bad law”.
In a Facebook post on Monday, 9 November 2026, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua expressed solidarity with students who demonstrated against increased hostel fees, arguing that their decision to seek police assistance to organise the protest was justified.
“UG’s position asking students to apply and obtain approval from the Dean of Student Affairs before going on demonstration on or off campus is bad law, and I applaud the concerned students for choosing to go to the police,” he wrote.
He also commended the Legon Division of the Ghana Police Service for supporting the students in organising a peaceful demonstration on campus.
The lecturer further criticised student representative bodies, including the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and graduate students’ associations, accusing them of becoming inactive as a result of what he described as “capture, coercion, intimidation, infiltration and co-optation by University management, the state and other powerful actors”.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua said the demonstration offered an opportunity for students to break away from what he considered ineffective representation and exercise their right to peaceful assembly.
In a subsequent Facebook post on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua congratulated the students on successfully organising what he described as a peaceful assembly, despite pressure from their representative bodies.
“Kudos to you, gallant students for standing your ground and withstanding pressure from your unions who sought to disown you for deciding to exercise your academic freedom to criticise some policies of the University,” he said.
He also addressed the relatively low turnout at the demonstration, arguing that it did not necessarily reflect a lack of support for the protest or dissatisfaction with accommodation costs and academic freedom on campus.
According to him, the turnout was influenced by intimidation from higher authorities.
“Your numbers were not as big as you expected. It’s not because you didn’t mobilise well or the majority of the students do not feel the pinch of paying exorbitant rental costs on campus; or are happy with the academic freedom issues on campus. It’s because of the ability of the higher powers, both internal and external, to cow them to bow out of the demonstration,” he wrote.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua maintained that the students’ actions went beyond their immediate concerns over accommodation costs, describing the demonstration as an exercise of their academic freedom and constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
“You fought for them. You won for all!” he said.
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Story by Holy Mavo | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Vanessa Katrin Ohene
