Chiefs and locals from several of the communities that surround the University of Cape Coast, such as Kwaprow, Amamoma, and Akotokyir/Kakumdo in the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region, have organized a protest against the university’s vice chancellor and administrators.
The purpose of the protest was to express the chiefs’ and citizens’ outrage at the university community’s encroachment on their territories.
On November 30, 2022, a protest was staged across several of Cape Coast’s main streets, and a petition was delivered to the regional minister and the UCC.
The red-clad protesters held placards, some of which said, among other things, “VC is demolishing our ancestors tombs, Autocratic UCC VC, UCC VC is destroying Cape Coast.”
The demonstrators claim that the university’s administration have seized their lands and abandoned them.
They are consequently requesting the VC’s removal since they believe he is unsympathetic to their situation.
Some protesters revealed their reasons for participating in the demonstration in an interview with Nana Tawiah, Central Regional Correspondent for Class FM.
The VC is claiming that our father Kwame Nkrumah obtained the land, Kwame Nkrumah did not pay for the town, Kwaprow was there before the institution was built, and he should give us our land, a female protester remarked.
Another female protestor said, “Kwame Nkrumah did not pay when he came for the land. This town existed before the institution was established; all we want is our land.
The locals charged that university officials had demolished their homes and other structures while claiming ownership of the surrounding property.
An incensed protester said, “VC, we’re appealing with you to liberate our lands. The VC has taken over our property, we can’t even obtain any to build, so we’re taking our thing. Kwame Nkrumah did not pay 1000, he paid nothing, for the land.”
Additionally, they stated that they have been given notice to leave the property by the university administration.
A protester lamented, “Now they claim they’re evicting us, we won’t comprehend, because our children are still living.”
Following the protest, Major Rtd. Kofi Baah Bentum, the director of public affairs of UCC, told the media that there is no land issue between the university and the local traditional leaders.
Mr. Baah Bentum emphasized the importance of the university in the growth of the communities in its vicinity and pointed out that asking for the resignation of the VC was unwarranted because he had no part in the purchase of the land.
He also denied charges that the university had encroached on locals’ property and emphasized that it was merely building a fence wall to mark its borders.
He advised the public to ignore the residents’ claims since they are untrue.