By Amoakohene Frank
Education in the contemporary world is a requirement for societal sustenance.
Without the right mental orientation through proper education, a generation would only rise one day, be at war with each other and destroy all that have been built for the survival of mankind since antiquity.
Conscious of the critical role of education in fostering peaceful coexistence in the society, every proper educational system is built beyond religious, partisan, and ethnic divides.
In fact, it is education that has promoted and protected the peaceful coexistence we enjoy as a country today.
Unfortunately, vindictiveness and partisanship have succeeded in destroying our educational institutions and have reduced one of our noble institutions, University of Education, Winneba to nothingness.
News broke today from UEW campus on a chaotic protest that has left protestants injured and properties damage leading to the closure of the University.
Frankly, the root cause of the current crisis is of public knowledge and cannot be narrated without the mention of the partisan take over of the institution and cheap vindictiveness.
Everyone who mattered looked on as Central Government took a center stage in the removal of the former Vice Chancellor, Prof Mawutor Avoke in order to replace him with “one of their own” Rev. Afful-Broni as the new superintendent minister of chaos, instead of superintending over good.
We are here today because the “angel” that was brought has allegedly metamorphosed into a demon of indiscriminate sacking and suspension of Senior members and has created a hub for financial malfeasance.
It is sad to think of the key actors, from the presidency to the ministry of education who partook in this cocktail of unpatriotic introduction of partisan political elements into an academic institution.
*The use of power without discretion and vindictiveness on the part of the government is the result of the chaos which has rendered the University ineffective.*
Every Government can find laws and flaws to perpetuate a vindictive agenda, but *it takes wisdom to handle power with discretion.*
Over politicization of our educational system is injurious to the future of our country.
Academic freedom and independence cannot be thrown to the dogs. The education minister and the presidency must take full responsibility of the Crisis, they must *apologise* and move into action to restore order on the said campus.
Education remains a right!
©
*Amoakohene Frank*
_A concerned youth of the land_
