The Junior Common Room of the University of Hall at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, have petitioned the Senior Common Room over the closure of their television room.
The Senior Common Room of the Hall is made up of past fellows who work for the University and periodically elect the Hall Masters from amongst themselves.
The students say that the closure of the television room is disheartening, especially as they have “had their duties and powers eroded by a select few members of authority in the Hall”
“In other Halls and hostels on campus, the TV rooms are opened and operational with strict observance of social distancing protocols. In Katanga, the TV room has been barricaded and turned into a storage unit. We express our distaste at this measure and do ask that the TV room be opened for our enjoyment. The room was created mainly for recreational purposes thus, its conversion into a storage unit is not only baffling but distressing as well in light of prevailing situations in other places within the school,” part of the petition reads.
Below is the full petition from the JCR of the University Hall
Honourable Members of the Senior Common Room of Katanga, this petition is a humble one for the opening of the TV room in the Hall. It is disheartening to note that, the elected representatives of the members of the JCR who have been given constitutional mandates to ensure to our welfare and representation of our interests have had their duties and powers eroded by a select few members of authority in the Hall which greatly hampers the enjoyment of basic things that we are entitled to as members of the JCR.
In other Halls and hostels on campus, the TV rooms are opened and operational with strict observance of social distancing protocols. In Katanga, the TV room has been barricaded and turned into a storage unit. We express our distaste at this measure and do ask that the TV room be opened for our enjoyment. The room was created mainly for recreational purposes thus, its conversion into a storage unit is not only baffling but distressing as well in light of prevailing situations in other places within the school.
The chairman of the Entertainment Committee has been unable together with the Hall President give us a good response on the situation of the TV room, and with each day that passes by, we are aggrieved hence this petition.
We have come to understand that there has always been a case of persecution and witch hunting by the SCR and a further destruction of the character of certain affiliates of the Hall to external agents of discipline such as the office of the Dean of students whenever there seems to be a crisis that can be resolved amicably but we are of the firm belief that, our request to have the TV room opened is an exercise of rights that we are allowed to enjoy and no ill intent is meant to cause fear and panic, or violence. If students in other Halls and hostels on campus pay fees which covers their enjoyment of amenities such as the use of the TV room, what makes us first year Katangees who have paid hall dues to Katanga coffers different?
Though the current Hall Master and the Male Hall Tutor have demonstrated constant acts of discrimination and bullying in the past by threatening to withhold certificates and sending students to the Disciplinary Committee which have forced certain acts of insurrection on the part of our predecessors, we intend to start a new chapter under this new university leadership headed by Professor Dickson without tarnishing our image as Katangees.
At a certain point in the history of the Hall, when an unnamed affiliate of this noble Hall was sent to the office of Professor Dickson who was the then Pro Vice Chancellor over an issue about a room designated for use by the President of Katanga which had been given to a female, the venerable Professor in her capacity as Pro Vice Chancellor stated emphatically as we are told by those who were students during that era that, in the administration of the school, there exists many tiers of administration from the student leadership level to the main authority. Thus, there should always be proper channels of communication in order to avoid unnecessary tensions brewing between students, student leaders and main administration.
We are again told that the current Hall Master and two Hall Tutors were present at the said hearing when that statement was made. As stated above, it seems that, the words of the Vice Chancellor as she is now have not been heeded to by the same Hall administration and though we complain with bitterness, we are therefore using this opportunity to do the right thing for purposes of reference when the eventual witch hunting we have been always told of begins.
We would humbly give a four day period of which your esteemed selves could deliberate upon this matter and within the suggested duration give us a response and where it is not favourable, pursue the matter through other channels.
We the undersigned, attach our signatures in furtherance of this our claim
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