Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana Ransford Edward Van Gyampo has excoriated old students of the University of Ghana who resided in either the Commonwealth Hall or the Mensah Sarbah Hall for what he terms as ad hominem attacks on him after he spoke and wrote against their attachment to traditions of former halls of residence.
Following protests against the University of Ghana Management by these old students over a directive by the University to deny continuing students accomodation in these halls, Prof Gyampo lashed out at them describing their push for the status quo to be maintained as “sentimental attachment to nonsense”.
But the old students of Commonwealth Hall ( old Vandals) and those of the Mensah Sarbah Hall ( Old Vikings) hit back at him, accusing him of sexually molesting students under his tutelage among others.
Now though Prof Gyampo has hit back even harder, saying that he knew that speaking against them would cost him attacks but as a lion, he is undeterred and undaunted by the barking of dogs.
For him, the traditions of these halls pose a dnager to life and property can no longer be countenanced by the University. .
“I knew they were going to attack me by referring to a very useless incompetent and failed purely partisan attempt at silencing me. I have had various calls to sue but I have too much on my plate and my skin itself is too tough to kowtow to the very weak attempt of people who cannot match me with superior argument. I have never been distracted by insults and attacks on my person.
I remain unrepentant defender of what is right and insist that traditions that threaten to murder innocent students aren’t worth keeping, unless it’s forebearers decide to be reasonable in keeping them on their original track. I have come too far to pander to the barking of dogs. I am a lion and harder at heart than those who think they are hard,” Prof Gyampo asserted.
Prof Gyampo stressed that he is more than ready for intellectual arguments on the matter but will take on anyone who resorts to personal attacks.
“I will continue to raise the issues and hope that I am matched or challenged with superior argument. Let anyone who is unable to raise superior argument and want to resort to personal attacks bring it on. I am willing and more than capable to speak in my own capacity as an individual, in taking them on,” he concluded.
Meanwhile attempts to forestall the occurrences of violence in these halls has temporarily been scuttled by an interlocutory injunction obtained by some dissatisfied continuing students restraining the University from denying them accomodation in the meantime…
Full statement of Prof Gyampo below:
When I was appointed to join the Communications Team at my place of work to speak to a policy against acts of violence and hooliganism of a few (not all) manipulated students operating under the guise of a great tradition that is now unfortunately degenerating into something else, and threatening to bring about murder of people’s innocent children, I accepted the invitation knowing very well that a few grown up people who are still infants in their thinking and haven’t outgrown their childish school days exuberance, will hit below the belt by committing ad hominem fallacies against me.
I knew they were going to attack me by referring to a very useless incompetent and failed purely partisan attempt at silencing me. I have had various calls to sue but I have too much on my plate and my skin itself is too tough to kowtow to the very weak attempt of people who cannot match me with superior argument. I have never been distracted by insults and attacks on my person.
I remain unrepentant defender of what is right and insist that traditions that threaten to murder innocent students aren’t worth keeping, unless it’s forebearers decide to be reasonable in keeping them on their original track. I have come too far to pander to the barking of dogs. I am a lion and harder at heart than those who think they are hard.
I will continue to raise the issues and hope that I am matched or challenged with superior argument. Let anyone who is unable to raise superior argument and want to resort to personal attacks bring it on. I am willing and more than capable to speak in my own capacity as an individual, in taking them on.
source: mynewsgh.com
