Tarkwa: UMAT prevents Bawumia from addressing students

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice Presidential Candidate, has been prevented by authorities of the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) in Tarkwa in the Western Region, from holding a student’s forum on the school’s campus. As part of the NPP’s campaign for the November elections, Dr. Bawumia has been touring tertiary institutions across the country to preach the party’s message of change. Sources from the school’s Students Representative Council (SRC) say they had been given the green light for the event and had held series of meetings with the University authorities.

They were only told upon Dr. Bawumia’s arrival that there was an error in their procedure and therefore the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, could not be allowed access to the University’s campus. Bawumia stopped at St. Francis College Prior to this incident, Dr. Bawumia has faced similar experiences in the Volta Region.

 Dr. Bawumia was last month prevented from speaking to students of the St. Francis College of Education at Hohoe in the Volta Region, until after a last minute intervention from the Catholic Church paved way for the address to be held.

The NPP has accused government of orchestrating the rejections to frustrate his campaign. Dr. Bawumia is on a tour of the Western Region to canvass votes for the NPP in this year’s elections. However our sources understands that the Catholic Secretariat in Tarkwa has offered their facility for him to use for the forum. In Ghana, political machinations and abuse of incumbency is a common occurrence particularly in election years.