The Ashanti regional minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has advised parents and guardians of Krobea Asante Vocational Institute to hand over their wards who have been implicated in the violent demonstration that occurred in the school recently to the police.
He gave the order whilst speaking to journalists after visiting the school to assess the extent of damaged that had been caused to school properties.
Already, a five-member committee to investigate antecedents that led to the demonstration and subsequent closure of the school has been set up.
A worried Mr Osei-Mensah, who could not fathom why students would demonstrate to destroy properties that are being used to teach them, maintained that the incident must be investigated since students cannot behave in such an unruly manner.
“Yes, I am very much surprised; I never believed students could cause such damage to an educational institution for which they are the beneficiaries.
“We need to establish the truth; we cannot tolerate these things – students acting with impunity. We have to crash this type of indiscipline in the country, especially in this region – it cannot continue like that,” he said.
Asked about the fate of the arrested students, he noted that it would be determined by an investigation, which is underway.
According to Mr Osei-Mensah , the police will screen them and those found culpable would be dealt with according law adding that those whose involvement are insignificant will be freed.
“I have directed that the leadership of the school-all the prefects of the school – if they do not surrender, they should declare them wanted.”
“They are the leaders so what shows they were not involved and if they were not involved, what did they do, so all of them, the police administration should declare them wanted immediately, and go for them.
“And the parent, if they are listening should surrender the children-they should follow the children to the police station, because they are wanted. If you are the senior prefect of the school why do you run away? What has he done that he is running away from? All the leaders of the school must be put on the wanted list.”
Updating the media about the magnitude of destruction caused by the students, he explained that they have destroyed several things including two vehicles, which belong to two staff members .
The rampaging students have also destroyed a pickup vehicle the principal is using, which belongs to the government, and an old bus that belongs to the government had also been destroyed.
“There is a Mahindra that has also been vandalised .So far we can talk about two cars, which belong to the staff and four which belong to government,” he said.
He indicated that the students will pay for the vehicles, which they have damaged.
“They have to pay for them whatever they destroy, they have to pay for them; I believe in being fair and being fair does not mean what people talk about putting human face,” Mr Simon Osei-Mensah told the media.
Disagreeing with the call for leniency in the handling of the students, the Ashanti regional minister mentioned that everyone has a human face and does not understand why people try to rope in such assertions when issues crops up.
“All of us here whose face is animal face.? Why do we always talk about the human face? The person did not first of all behave like human being so which human face are you talking about? This behaviour? Is this the behaviour of a human being? So why are you talking about human face?”
