It has been described in various terms as
“unruly,” “rowdy,” “most unfortunate,” “unpresidented,” “tragic and simply unacceptable.”
In reality, it was disgraceful, according to eye-witness account.
These expressions give a vivid picture of, and reactions on, the incident that happened at the congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday, March 13, 2010.
It is instructive to note that a congregation is a significant annual public event on the calendar of universities that takes place in an atmosphere of splendeur, solemnity and sobriety.
Essentially, it is an occasion of stock-taking and mapping out plans to forge ahead.
Incidentally, the grand congregation at Legon was marred by acts of indiscipline committed by a mob of students.
It was in the form of rampaging, heckling, harassing amidst drumming, dancing, chanting of profane songs, blowing of explosive items and a display of scanty dressing, red armbands and powdered faces. An awful scene indeed.
The demonstration disrupted the programme; the procession of officials originally scheduled to start at 8.45am was delayed for over twenty minutes, causing inconvenience, anxiety and resentment to the guests at the ceremony.
And from observation, Commonwealth Hall students masterminded and unleased the plan of action.
For the tremendous embarrassment, the University administration has rendered sincere apology to all concerned, promising to identify and punish the culprits, while taking steps to prevent its recurrence.
The prompt action of the authorities is commendable, just as they need to be sympathised with in the perplexing circumstances they found themselves at the congregation.
At this juncture, it is expedient to make sober reflections on the spate of vandalism at the Legon campus in a way to address the issue more rigorously, effectively and expeditiously. By and large, Commonwealth Hall is the centre stage of the bane.
Indeed, since its inception, the Hall has become notorious for acts of indiscipline, immoral, arrogant and of violent nature, considered to be a custom and tradition rather than a nuisance and dangerous practice.
Specifically, the Hall is branded as Vandal City; the students are called vandals, while the alumni are dubbed Old Vandals (OV) and congregated under a solidarity umbrella known as Old Vandals Association. Astonishingly, they feel very proud about these pet names and OV title.
One could remember instances of indiscipline perpetrated by the Vandal students in yesteryears, the good old days when things were better than they are today.
A girls’ secondary school came on an excursion to Legon campus and drove to Commonwealth Hall. At the entrance of the Porters Lodge, the alarm was raised: “Wo de aba ooo! Wo de abe dwa ooo!” These were profane slogans with sexy connotations, meaning that “there is sex galore around.”
Within a twinkle of an eye, a mass of students emerged from the corridors, noisy and wearing only pants, to accost the innocent girls and their teachers. It was a shameful scene for them to behold. And quickly they were whisked away.
Apparently, it was a taboo for a bevy of ladies to go parading through Commonwealth Hall, knowing the inherent sex temptations.
Similarly, some of the Hall students sneaked into the female Volta Hall, trespassing on the privacy of the women.
They were booed out. Back to their Hall, they narrated their ordeal to their fellow mates, who considered it as an act of humiliation on them. Highly infuriated, a rabble of students descended on Volta Hall, beating the girls and injuring some of them.
Once, to mark United Nations Day, a lecture was held at the Great Hall, attended by members of the diplomatic corps and other distinguished guests.
The speaker was an eminent international personality who was identified as anti-socialist.
Thus, in the midst of the lecture, some Commonwealth students who were pro-socialists marched in to disrupt it and heckle the lecturer.
And at the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government, the Vandals did the worst things.
They went on rampage over the campus, molesting and destroying the properties of students who were noted as “CPP Propaganda Boys.” Reason? A commonwealth student was detained under the regime and was released in the wake of the coup. The rampage was a revenge for his detention.
For far too long, vandalism has persisted in Commonwealth Hall while the other four Halls of residence have remained relatively peaceful, making Commonwealth the odd one out. So the pertinent questions are raised. How come? Who is to blame for this tendency? And what is the antidote?
Obviously, the accusing fingers are pointed at the university authorities.
They have condoned and connived at the rampant indiscipline of the Commonwealth students, viewing it as comic relief, youthful exuberance and negligence and a way of life to cherish. It brings them nostalgic memories of their student days at the university when they were somehow errant.
The point has been made clear. Knowing that the vandal boys take a delight at public functions like the congregation ceremony to do their notorious things, the authorities should have been more pre-emptive, taking the appropriate measures to forestall their attempt to stage a demonstration.
They were complacent which caused them embarrassment. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
The lesson for the authorities lies in finding the antidote to the spate of vandalism that has been the hallmark of Commonwealth Hall. In this regard, one could offer some suggestions for consideration.
One is rebranding the Hall by changing its name to erase the stigma on it and creating a new identity, image and vision for it.
Names that readily come into mind are New Millennium, Peace, Continental, Celebrity and Progress.
Two, change the gender classification of the Hall. That is, it should no longer accommodate male students but reserved for the female counterparts.
It means moving the girls from Volta Hall and the other Halls to Commonwealth Hall which is big enough to contain all the female students on campus.
Then Volta Hall becomes a male Hall which will be populated by redistributing the students in Commonwealth Hall to the other Halls, while those in the other Halls are shared to Volta Hall on equity basis.
Three, turn Commonwealth Hall into a residence for postgraduate, doctorate degree and research students.
These have passed through the mill, so to speak, and have become sober, self-disciplined and responsible people as opposed to the reckless and violent undergraduate students.
In all, it is a hard task, but it can be accomplished with due diligence, commitment and determination on the part of the university authorities.
The bitter experience they faced at the recent ceremony should urge them to deal firmly and decisively with the indiscipline of the Vandal Boys. The clarion call and warning to them is: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
“unruly,” “rowdy,” “most unfortunate,” “unpresidented,” “tragic and simply unacceptable.”
In reality, it was disgraceful, according to eye-witness account.
These expressions give a vivid picture of, and reactions on, the incident that happened at the congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday, March 13, 2010.
It is instructive to note that a congregation is a significant annual public event on the calendar of universities that takes place in an atmosphere of splendeur, solemnity and sobriety.
Essentially, it is an occasion of stock-taking and mapping out plans to forge ahead.
Incidentally, the grand congregation at Legon was marred by acts of indiscipline committed by a mob of students.
It was in the form of rampaging, heckling, harassing amidst drumming, dancing, chanting of profane songs, blowing of explosive items and a display of scanty dressing, red armbands and powdered faces. An awful scene indeed.
The demonstration disrupted the programme; the procession of officials originally scheduled to start at 8.45am was delayed for over twenty minutes, causing inconvenience, anxiety and resentment to the guests at the ceremony.
And from observation, Commonwealth Hall students masterminded and unleased the plan of action.
For the tremendous embarrassment, the University administration has rendered sincere apology to all concerned, promising to identify and punish the culprits, while taking steps to prevent its recurrence.
The prompt action of the authorities is commendable, just as they need to be sympathised with in the perplexing circumstances they found themselves at the congregation.
At this juncture, it is expedient to make sober reflections on the spate of vandalism at the Legon campus in a way to address the issue more rigorously, effectively and expeditiously. By and large, Commonwealth Hall is the centre stage of the bane.
Indeed, since its inception, the Hall has become notorious for acts of indiscipline, immoral, arrogant and of violent nature, considered to be a custom and tradition rather than a nuisance and dangerous practice.
Specifically, the Hall is branded as Vandal City; the students are called vandals, while the alumni are dubbed Old Vandals (OV) and congregated under a solidarity umbrella known as Old Vandals Association. Astonishingly, they feel very proud about these pet names and OV title.
One could remember instances of indiscipline perpetrated by the Vandal students in yesteryears, the good old days when things were better than they are today.
A girls’ secondary school came on an excursion to Legon campus and drove to Commonwealth Hall. At the entrance of the Porters Lodge, the alarm was raised: “Wo de aba ooo! Wo de abe dwa ooo!” These were profane slogans with sexy connotations, meaning that “there is sex galore around.”
Within a twinkle of an eye, a mass of students emerged from the corridors, noisy and wearing only pants, to accost the innocent girls and their teachers. It was a shameful scene for them to behold. And quickly they were whisked away.
Apparently, it was a taboo for a bevy of ladies to go parading through Commonwealth Hall, knowing the inherent sex temptations.
Similarly, some of the Hall students sneaked into the female Volta Hall, trespassing on the privacy of the women.
They were booed out. Back to their Hall, they narrated their ordeal to their fellow mates, who considered it as an act of humiliation on them. Highly infuriated, a rabble of students descended on Volta Hall, beating the girls and injuring some of them.
Once, to mark United Nations Day, a lecture was held at the Great Hall, attended by members of the diplomatic corps and other distinguished guests.
The speaker was an eminent international personality who was identified as anti-socialist.
Thus, in the midst of the lecture, some Commonwealth students who were pro-socialists marched in to disrupt it and heckle the lecturer.
And at the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government, the Vandals did the worst things.
They went on rampage over the campus, molesting and destroying the properties of students who were noted as “CPP Propaganda Boys.” Reason? A commonwealth student was detained under the regime and was released in the wake of the coup. The rampage was a revenge for his detention.
For far too long, vandalism has persisted in Commonwealth Hall while the other four Halls of residence have remained relatively peaceful, making Commonwealth the odd one out. So the pertinent questions are raised. How come? Who is to blame for this tendency? And what is the antidote?
Obviously, the accusing fingers are pointed at the university authorities.
They have condoned and connived at the rampant indiscipline of the Commonwealth students, viewing it as comic relief, youthful exuberance and negligence and a way of life to cherish. It brings them nostalgic memories of their student days at the university when they were somehow errant.
The point has been made clear. Knowing that the vandal boys take a delight at public functions like the congregation ceremony to do their notorious things, the authorities should have been more pre-emptive, taking the appropriate measures to forestall their attempt to stage a demonstration.
They were complacent which caused them embarrassment. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
The lesson for the authorities lies in finding the antidote to the spate of vandalism that has been the hallmark of Commonwealth Hall. In this regard, one could offer some suggestions for consideration.
One is rebranding the Hall by changing its name to erase the stigma on it and creating a new identity, image and vision for it.
Names that readily come into mind are New Millennium, Peace, Continental, Celebrity and Progress.
Two, change the gender classification of the Hall. That is, it should no longer accommodate male students but reserved for the female counterparts.
It means moving the girls from Volta Hall and the other Halls to Commonwealth Hall which is big enough to contain all the female students on campus.
Then Volta Hall becomes a male Hall which will be populated by redistributing the students in Commonwealth Hall to the other Halls, while those in the other Halls are shared to Volta Hall on equity basis.
Three, turn Commonwealth Hall into a residence for postgraduate, doctorate degree and research students.
These have passed through the mill, so to speak, and have become sober, self-disciplined and responsible people as opposed to the reckless and violent undergraduate students.
In all, it is a hard task, but it can be accomplished with due diligence, commitment and determination on the part of the university authorities.
The bitter experience they faced at the recent ceremony should urge them to deal firmly and decisively with the indiscipline of the Vandal Boys. The clarion call and warning to them is: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
