Some students of Tamale Technical University (TaTU) staged a protest against the university’s management over alleged misappropriation of funds, neglect of student welfare, and a proposed increase in school fees.
The protest, which took place on campus grounds and surrounding streets as all entry points to the school were blocked, The protest was driven by growing frustration over what students describe as years of neglect by university management. At the heart of their concerns is the lack of visible development despite the regular payment of a “developmental levy” included in student fees.
Addressing the media, the President of GRASAG at TaTU, Abdul Ganiwu Inusah, accused management of misusing Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and neglecting the welfare of students. He called for an independent investigative committee to probe the allegations, insisting 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, and that KPMG or a similar firm should undertake the audit. He further demanded that management suspend any fee increment until the audit was completed, findings made public, and service delivery gaps addressed.He appealed to the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to intervene urgently to rescue the institution from what he described as “persistent mismanagement”.
Mahamudu Musah, Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), also accused the university’s leadership of failing its students.“We are hitting the street to demand accountability and developmental projects from management,” Musah stated.”Over the years, students have paid their fees, and if you look at the fee structure, there is a component called the developmental levy. Students have paid this for years, but there hasn’t been a single project on this campus championed by management.”
However, the demonstration turned chaotic after police officers deployed to the scene fired warning shots and sprayed hot water to disperse the crowd.
Several students sustained varying degrees of injuries during the clashes. According to eyewitnesses, three students were hurt, two sustaining head injuries and one with a leg injury.
