{"id":7074,"date":"2014-03-18T18:11:33","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T18:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=7074"},"modified":"2014-03-18T18:15:36","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T18:15:36","slug":"legon-road-closure-provokes-mps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/03\/legon-road-closure-provokes-mps\/","title":{"rendered":"Legon road closure provokes MPs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ghana-Parliament\"<\/a>The University of Ghana, Legon, may soon lose its powers, if any, to restrict use of its roads as thoroughfares.<\/p>\n

Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have started an open campaign aimed ultimately at clipping the wings of the authorities of the University over the divisive restriction on use of Legon\u2019s roads as thoroughfares.<\/p>\n

Apparently, the MPs have been rattled by the controversial decision of school authorities not to allow vehicles without Legon\u2019s GHc400 stickers to use roads within the University as thoroughfares.<\/p>\n

At a charged Parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, a day after some MPs were reportedly refused access to the University. Deputy Majority Leader, Alfred Kwame Agbesi, said: \u201cThe University should not be a Republic onto itself\u201d.<\/p>\n

His comments echoed public outrage<\/span> triggered by Legon\u2019s contentious car sticker policy. The enforcement of which has been the cause of massive traffic jam<\/span> in parts of Accra since Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Speaker, this morning, I listened to some parents who have their wards at the University of Ghana and they were complaining about the decision of the University,\u201d Mr Agbesi said.<\/p>\n

He also recounted the story of some colleague MPs who were allegedly prevented by Legon security men from entering the University on Monday.<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThe issue is that the University Council has taken a decision and members of the public are not so happy about the decision. \u00a0Mr. Speaker, this House is the House of the representatives of the people. And the matter has come to our attention, and since we represent the people we must bring our concerns to the attention of the University Council that they should take a second look at the decision they have taken\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Deputy Majority\u2019s Leader\u2019s comments were in support of his colleague MP for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, who had earlier drawn the Speaker\u2019s attention to the chaos triggered by Legon\u2019s contentious sticker policy.<\/p>\n

According to the Asawase MP, Legon\u2019s GHc400 Sticker Policy, violates an agreement the University had with Parliament prior to the passage of the University of Ghana Bill into an Act.<\/p>\n

Mr. Muntaka<\/span> recalled that on Thursday July, 22, 2010, he moved a motion in Parliament seeking to have the House eliminate clause 3 [2] of the University of Ghana Bill because of the potential for its misuse.<\/p>\n

The said provision, which later became law, reads: \u201cA person who is not a member of the University shall not enter the premises of the University or have access to facilities or privileges of the University without the permission of the University.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Mr. Muntaka<\/span>, his motion sparked a stormy debate on the floor, compelling the presiding Speaker to defer a vote on the subject.<\/p>\n

The House, he explained, passed the said clause days later only after it received assurances from a delegation from the University that the school had no intention of using the provision to \u201crestrict access\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came, they met us and they pleaded that \u2018no\u2019 it is not for them to use it. They want it to be there so that when other people decide to organize to come and create problems they could use it as basis<\/span> to prevent them from entering the University,\u201d he told the House at Tuesday\u2019s sitting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the understanding with the University authorities then that this clause was not to restrict movement\u2026\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Speaking to CitiNews<\/b> after today\u2019s proceedings of Parliament, Mr. Muntaka<\/span> said the recent decision, therefore, of Legon authorities to use the provisions of section 3[<\/span>2] of the University of Ghana Act to \u201cextort\u201d money from car owners using roads within the University as thoroughfares must be challenged.<\/p>\n

He has therefore served notice that he will press the Ministry of Education to bring the University of Ghana Act back to Parliament for MPs to expunge the provisions that seem to be the basis for Legon\u2019s GHc400 sticker policy.<\/p>\n

Mr. Muntaka<\/span> had earlier expressed a similar sentiment during Tuesday\u2019s sitting of Parliament. He said, \u201c\u2026<\/span>Mr. Speaker<\/span>, the problem is to say that some persons must have a sticker before they can have access; that is restriction<\/span> because if you don\u2019t have the sticker you will not be able to have access.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026<\/span>We should not allow this kind of restriction to prevail at the University of Ghana because it will not serve the collective interest of the people of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments received strong support from the Deputy Majority Leader, Alfred Kwame Agbesi.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy suggestion is that we need to bring the law back to this House to take a second look at it\u201d the Ashaiman MP said. \u201c\u2026<\/span>If<\/span> is necessary an amendment should be procured. The issue is serious; members of the public are being restricted [by the University] and restriction is something we should not countenance\u201d.<\/p>\n

Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul, backed Mr. Agbeshi\u2019s<\/span> call. \u201cThe problem is that the people of Ghana who are visiting the University of Ghana are complaining\u2026 Five Members of Parliament yesterday were turned away at the University of Ghana even though the authorities there knew that they passing through to do Parliamentary duties. They were turned away\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Papa Owusu Ankoma disagrees<\/b><\/p>\n

But, Sekondi MP, Papa Owusu Ankoma, took a contrary stance during Tuesday\u2019s discussion on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Speaker, I don\u2019t want to appear to be defending the University. No one has been restricted access to the University except that if you are entering the University you must use the main gate, Okponglo, that is all. I mean I don\u2019t have a problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In his ruling, First Deputy Speaker, Ebo Barton Odro, said: \u201cI get the sense of the House and therefore I would want to direct that the Minister for Roads, together with the Minister for Education should liaise with the Committees on Education as well as Roads and Highways to specifically find an amicable solution to this problem. It has nothing to do with the tolls, which is a subject matter before the Supreme Court\u201d.<\/p>\n

Joint Committee<\/span> given<\/span> two weeks<\/b><\/p>\n

The presiding Speaker gave the Joint Committee up to two weeks within which to submit its report to Parliament.<\/p>\n

The brouhaha over Legon\u2019s roads started in February after authorities introduced road tolls last month in a bid to raise money to pay off a loan it had taken to repair roads within the school.<\/p>\n

The University\u2019s abortive road toll policy provoked public anger compelling<\/span> National Security Coordinator, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retired), to order demolition of one of the toll booths being put up by the authorities at the Okponglo entry to the campus. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey defended the action on grounds that the uncompleted structure was inappropriately sited.<\/p>\n

Mr. Gbevlo-Lartey added that the location of the booth was a threat to human security and created vehicular congestion.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Richard Dela Sky\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Ghana, Legon, may soon lose its powers, if any, to restrict use of its roads as thoroughfares. Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have started an open campaign aimed ultimately at clipping the wings of the authorities of the University over the divisive restriction on use of Legon\u2019s roads as thoroughfares. Apparently, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[38],"yoast_head":"\nLegon road closure provokes MPs - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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