Until last night, I didn’t know that students were that passionate about politics in our tertiary institutions.
The scene at Radio Univers, Legon campus on Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday was horror as followers of the two SRC presidential aspirants, Mikdad Mohammed and Davis Ohene Fobi, clashed.
I, Zionfelix was the producer on duty during the Radio Univers-Legon SRC Electoral Commission organised ‘Presidential Debate ’15’ and this was what happened according to what my eyes saw and ears heard on the night of the event.
The Presidential Debate ’15 which started at 9 pm looked at issues on:
1. Lasting solutions to the deteriorating supply of power on the University of Ghana campus
2. The University of Ghana Strategic Plan, The five year SRC strategic policy and how their vision fits into this laid down strategies.
3. The stance of the SRC on the implementation of the Meal Plan under their watch.
4. Possible hike in fees of students and payment arrangements.
5. New directive for permit from VC before organizing outdoor events.
6. SRC’s external relations/ foreign policies.
7. UG Sports
8. Partisan infiltration in student activism.
9. Entertainment: policies for brokering and nurturing talented students of the University of Ghana.
Before God and man, you could see that the old boy of Prempeh Collage and resident of Commonwealth Hall, Mikdad Mohammed was on top of issues two hours into the show than his fellow, Davis Ohene Fobi, an old boy of Osei Tutu Senior High School.
The last agenda on the bill for the two presidential aspirants was to talk about their plans to solve the power rationing system at the university. Before the night of the debate, messages had gone viral that whilst Mikdad Mohammed together with two other students had petitioned the Legon branch of ECG to soften the ‘Dumsor’ on campus, Davis Ohene Fobi days later had sent a letter to the National Head office of ECG to do same.
This petition by Fobi is said to have triggered a problem for the Boss at the Legon branch of ECG due to his partiality to favour Legon main campus during the power rationing in the country.
Again on ‘DUMSOR’ that caused the whole commotion last night, Mikdad Mohammed is alleged to be a member of Concern Students of Legon, a pressure group who plan on demonstrating against the ‘dumsor’ problem on campus.
Mikdad Mohammed denied his membership to the pressure group when the host of the show questioned him but Davis Ohene Fobi said otherwise about his competitor. Upon several denials by Mikdad about his membership to the pressure group, Davis Ohene Fobi took his phone out to show messages his competitor had sent across endorsing the demonstration by the Concern Students of Legon.
Mikdad requested for Fobi’s phone to read the message he was talking about. After taking Fobi’s phone, all I heard from Fobi was ‘He has deleted my message’. Fobi alleged that Mikdad had deleted the message he was using as a proof against him that he, Mikdad Mohammed is part of the pressure group that has planned to demonstrate against ‘Dumsor’ on campus. I cannot confirm nor deny the allegation made by Fobi against Mikdad but going by the looks on Mikdad’s face after the allegation; it could be true (that doesn’t mean it is true).
After Fobi screamed that Mikdad had deleted his message live on air, his followers heard and started verbal argument outside the studio of Radio Univers. Fobi who still wanted to prove that Mikdad sent messages across to endorse the demonstration went out of the studio to request for a phone from his followers. He again told them Mikdad had deleted the message. This heated up the verbal argument which was happening outside the studio.
According to Abrantepa, the executive producer of the show who was outside with the followers of both aspirants, one of the guys called students of Commonwealth hall to come to the station. After the arrival of the Commonwealth boys at the radio station, followers of both SRC presidential aspirants started exchanging blows.
In the studio with Mikdad and Fobi, comments by both parties were very bad that I cannot state some. The show had to close 15 minutes before midnight by the order of programme’s manager, Dr. Carl only for the chaos to continue.
Mikdad was begged to talk to his Commonwealth followers 30 minutes after the sad event started but that did not cool them down. Some followed him on his way out but majority were still at the radio station waiting for Fobi to come out of the studio. Security personnel were called to come handle the issue but the ‘war’ was not an easy task for them.
Fobi was camped in the studio till 2 am when about 5 security men escorted him to his hall. According to a report by the security man on duty, Commonwealth boys were on their way from Fobi’s hall of residence when they were taking him there so they had to take a U-Turn to Legon hall.
