After a horrid performance by the artiste Medikal, during the SRC week celebration of the 2016/2017 academic year, some students could not hide their frustrations and went ahead to vent their anger by destroying properties. During this academic year’s SRC week celebrations (2017/2018), it was largely rumored that as a result of the actions of some students which led to the destruction of properties after Medikal’s performance, the float would be held internally. Considering the population of the North, South and Central campuses, it was quite strange to imagine the tangibility of an internal float.
0n Thursday, the 12th of April 2017, all was set for the much awaited SRC float to take place. There were still doubts as to whether the float would take place on or off campus and with respect to that, the SRC released a communique stating emphatically that the float would take place within the North campus. Students were agitated by that communique chiefly because they felt that they were being deprived of their “only” source of entertainment. To hit the hammer on the head, UEW is on a record low in terms of entertaining activities and to deprive students of their only source of easing their stress after hectic academic commitments was definitely not going to appease the student body.
By 5pm, the North Campus of UEW was filled with scores of students who were determined to have some fun and excitement in order to boost their emotional health. There were murmurings from the student body that no matter the cost, they would not participate in an internal float. Students just could not fathom why they should be prevented from engaging in a routine celebration from the management of the school. Students had decided to put on thick skin and it was going to be difficult to stop the wind which was blowing.
It is quite surprising to know that the acting Vice Chancellor of UEW, Reverend Professor Afful-Broni for reasons best known to himself, doesn’t want to approve the activities of pressure groups on campus. A much maligned pressure group called Spartans led the agitated student body in going out of campus for the float. Students kept on trooping in to join the float when they realized that the float was taking place outside campus.
Underground information proves that the students really appreciated the efforts of the Spartans in ensuring that the float was moved outside campus since due to the populace of the student body, it would have been intangible to have an internal float.
Alas! Students of UEW are gradually realizing the need to have vibrant pressure groups on campus who can aid in ensuring that the rights and interests of the student body are championed.
From all indications, there is a wind of change blowing and it is just a matter of time that students of UEW begin to push harder to ensure that pressure groups are given the recognition they deserve just like the way it is in other tertiary institutions.
Baiden Gideon
