Journalists in the Ashanti region will with immediate effect not cover all official events organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The unanimous decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Kumasi. It follows verbal assault on media personnel by Vice-Chancellor, Professor William Otoo- Ellis, and Registrar, Kobby Yebo-Okra. The Vice-Chancellor last week descended on the Multimedia Group, accusing its subsidiary in Ashanti Region, Luv FM, of cooking up stories to tarnish the image of the university. Professor Otto-Ellis had apparently taken offence to a Luv FM report on the stabbing of a student by a roommate, and subsequently an armed robbery incident in which one person was shot. Even though the KNUST Police and the University Relations Office spoke on record to confirm the incidents, Prof Otoo-Ellis seems to suggest the stories were fabricated. For about 30 minutes the KNUST Vice-Chancellor subjected Luv FM’s Elton Brobbey, in the presence of other colleagues, to verbal attack without indicating specifically what aspect of the reports had been cooked up as he suggested. He accused the station of opening its microphones to people to churn out lies, in apparent reference to student sentiments about the two security-related criminal incidents on campus. Professor Otoo-Ellis questioned why the station had given a platform for students to air their views on security on the university campus. He threatened to sack all the journalists covering the programme but for the presence of Vodafone officials, who are the sponsors. In fact, he said the university can do without the media so he would restrain media houses from covering programmes at the KNUST. Registrar, Kobby Yebo-Okrah, who was also present, obviously supported the VC. He described journalists as a bunch of illiterates who have been engaged by their relative owners of radio stations, adding in his own words, “they don’t know anything”. These accusations and verbal assault have not gone down well with the Ashanti Regional GJA. At an emergency meeting, members expressed outrage at the manner the university authorities approached the matter. Other journalists recounted similar abuse they had suffered at the hands of the VC and other officials of the university. Chairman of Ashanti Regional branch of the GJA, Nana Yaw Osei told Luv News journalists in the region have decided to boycott official events at the University as a result of the incessant attacks on the media. He regretted the university authorities were only detested at any bad news that comes out of the campus and react abusively to it, instead of capitalizing on them to realize their shortcomings. Nana Osei indicated the Vice Chancellor has now been given the opportunity to run the school without the media as he wants but journalists will continue to report issues on campus that are news worthy and the officials can choose to react or not to react to it. The association is due to issue an official statement on its decision.