Kumasi, May 5, GNA- The chief, elders and youth of Ayeduase, a satellite community of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Wednesday besieged the offices of the Vice Chancellor to protest against the decision of the university authorities to shut the gates of the road linking them to town at some odd hours. In the process, the youth who accompanied the chief and elders, turned violent and vandalised flowerpots and other property and also poured rubbish on the veranda of the main administration block of the university.

They also blocked the routes leading to the roundabout, adjacent to the main KNUST administration block and the gate leading directly to the Ayeduase.

The timely intervention of some police personnel called in by the university authorities and some elders of Ayeduase saved the situation. Notwithstanding the incident, the chiefs and elders were granted audience by the university authorities and a petition containing their grievances and signed by Nana Opoku Agyemang Bawua Nsafo II, Ayeduasehene, was presented to Professor Kwesi Andam, the Vice chancellor.

The petition was copied to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, the Assemblywoman for Ayeduase electoral area and the Ayeduase unit committee chairman.

It called on the university authorities to take a second look at the decision with the view to reversing it.

The petition described it as an attempt "to enslave us and deny us of freedom of movement on our own land".

The chief and elders cautioned that failure to either reconsider or reverse the decision, "the people will adopt any reasonable means at their disposal to resist it, just to gain their freedom of movement". The Vice Chancellor, who received the petition, did not however comment on it.

A recent directive from the university authorities asked that the gates of the road that links Ayeduase through the KNUST campus to Kumasi, would have to be closed from 10 pm to 6 am each day.