Former Students of University Hall (Katanga) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), have received with joy, news that government has reverted their hall of residence back to male-only hall.

In a statement Tuesday, the fraternity said “we are grateful to the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Chancellor of KNUST, the University Council, the Minister of Education and the entire government for their unambiguous reiteration of the position of government on this matter that University Hall (Katanga) remains male-only hall.”

The statement added that “We look forward to further instructions from the University Council, working in concert with the Chancellor and other stakeholders for the immediate restoration of the University Hall to it's established and deserved status.”

The Management of KNUST picked intelligence last week that students were preparing to ignite last year’s protest which saw a temporary shutdown of the university.

Last year students demonstrated for the reversal of University hall, which had been made mixed hall, to its original all mall status.

Responding to the simmering tensions, which led to the arrest of two old students, the  Registrar of the University, Kwasi Boateng in a public statement called for calm. Mr. Boateng said the management is not oblivious of concerns raised as a result of the conversion but added the university was studying a committee report on the development.

He promised to implement the findings of the committee soon as that is done.

But that was not to be as the government announced its position on the development. 

Addressing the Council Chairman, government through the Education Minister said in a letter copied to the media, that University Hall must remain an all-male hall.

“I… wish to reiterate the position of the government on this matter that (Katanga) University Hall remain a male hall of residence as prevailing in other sister universities e.g Commonwealth Hall in UG, Casely-Hayford Hall in UCC, Union, Ecowas and Savannah Halls in UDS,” the statement said in part. 

According to the government, it took the decision “to preserve a peaceful and conducive environment for academic work and cordial relationship in the University.”