KNUST, Deputy Registrar Convicted Of Contempt

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and its Deputy Registrar in charge of Legal and Welfare, Mr Richard Appiah-Kubi, have been convicted for contempt in a case in which two second-year Law students challenged their dismissal from the university for alleged examination malpractice.

The Kumasi High Court, presided over by Mr Justice G.H.K. Debrah, which convicted them, made a number of orders against the university and the deputy registrar which should be carried out within one week.

Among the orders were the payment of GH¢1,000 into government chest and the withdrawal of an advertisement on the dismissal of the students, Messrs Alfred Obeng Boateng and Ato Kwamena Sam Ghartey.

The court said the withdrawal of the advertisement would correct the impression that the students had been dismissed from the university.

Again, the court asked the KNUST and the deputy registrar to apologise to the bench and undertake not to repeat their behaviour again.

In 2007, the KNUST dismissed the two students for allegedly engaging in examination malpractice. The students did not take kindly to their dismissal and sought redress at the court.

The court upheld their application and consequently declared their dismissal illegal. However, the university refused to re-admit them to continue with their programmes of study and went ahead to place newspaper advertisements to the effect that the students remained dismissed, in spite of the court ruling.

Consequently, the aggrieved students filed an application for contempt against the KNUST and the deputy registrar, which was upheld by the court.

Source:Daily Graphic

GHANA: KNUST turns away two-thirds of applicants

Education Minister, Alex Tettey-Enyo Only one-third of applicants who applied to enter the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for the 2009-2010 academic year were offered admission due to inadequate lecturers and facilities. Authorities are worried about the situation but say the trend is likely to continue for some time as funds are not in sight to help reverse the situation. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Kwafo Adarkwah says already the lecturer/student ratio is way beyond the university’s own standards. He laments that despite a large tract of land available for expansion to meet the growing number of prospective students the university is constrained by funding. He told Luv FM in Kumasi that the university was liaising with other private universities to stem the tide. As part of these efforts the university has entered into an agreement with Ghana Telecom and Data Link universities to absorb some of the applicants. According to Prof. Adarkwa, another agreement which will see the campus of the Ghana Law School established on the KNUST campus to solve the perennial quota system has been reached. Story by Elton John Brobbey/Luv FM/Kumasi