GIJ: ‘We don’t understand why Mawutor will attack the electoral process’ – Interim SRC Committee Chair

The Interim SRC Committee of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has distanced itself from a comment made by one of its members to the effect that the organization of an election for substantive leaders was rushed in fear of being hit by a lawsuit by some students who have filed a case against school authorities for alleged interference in student governance.

Chairman of the Committee, Victor Yekple says that the comments made by Efo Korku Mawutor, also known as Theodore Abiwu, were personal remarks and should not be mistaken as that of the Committee.

Speaking to UniversNews, Victor Yekple questioned why Mawutor will attack the electoral processes when he had already told the Committee that he was going to stay away from it.

“We want to put on record that whatever Efo said were his personal views. Those were not the decision taken by the Committee. Whatever he said were his opinion. He made that very clear that the decision taken by the majority in the House, which was 8 and against 4, to hold elections yesterday [Sunday], he was not going to be part of the process. According to him, even though it was a majority decision, it doesn’t sit down well with him. I don’t see why he would come back to attack the process when he has made it very clear that he is distancing himself from the very process that he, together with the house, took a decision on. Those were his personal views and does not reflect that of the Committee,” Victor said.

Victor insists that the electoral processes were not rushed to avoid a possible injunction from the aggrieved students who were appointed by the now-former SRC administration led by Joseph Agbezuke.

In an earlier interview, he said that the electoral processes should have ended about a month ago, had it not been that some students had petitioned the Rector of the Institute after they were inducted into office.

He added that the writ by the aggrieved students does not affect the Committee’s work in any way.

“We were supposed to have finished this process close to one month ago but then as soon as we were inducted into office, some people petitioned the Rector and in the interest of fairness, the law of natural justice demands that you listen to those of have petitioned you…and that placed an injunction on our work because management asked us to hold on…that is not what is driving us. The writ has no bearing on our mandate as a committee at all,” Victor told UniversNews.

Voter turnout impressive

Amidst the controversies, Victor Yekple says that voter turnout has been impressive.

He says that over 1,300 students have cast their vote in the online election for substantive SRC leaders.

Victor says that the turnout is one of the highest the school has recorded in its electoral history.

“We’ve hit 1,340 for online so all the low turnout assumptions don’t hold because even physical election, the highest one person got is 1,400 and we are hitting 1,340,” he claimed.

GIJ holds elections for substantive SRC executives

Despite a case in court challenging the set up of the interim SRC executives, the Committee has held an election for substantive leaders.

The election saw six final-year students contesting unopposed for various offices.

Chairman of the Interim Committee, Victor Yekple, says that the provisional election will be announced shortly after polls close on Monday.

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Story by: Jeffrey Nyabor | universnewsroom.com