Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant, has reflected on his time as a university student during the Jerry John Rawlings military regime, describing it as a key period of gagging without tolerance for opposing views.
In a recent interview with Aisha Ibrahim on JoyNews’ Personality Profile, the former Minister of Education under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration recounted the “culture of silence” that permeated the country, where citizens feared expressing opinions against former President Rawlings.
Dr. Adutwum, the MP for Bosomtwe, recalled events that defined the period from 1981 to 1992, when the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) governed by military decree.
During this time, the fear of reprisal left many Ghanaians hesitant to voice opinions against the government.
“People could not talk because you may be picked up the next day,” he stated.
In this climate, he explained, university students emerged as a vocal and influential opposition force.
At the time, Ghana had only three universities: the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, and the University of Science and Technology (UST), now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Students from these institutions, organised under the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), led nationwide demonstrations.
Dr. Adutwum clarified that these protests were not over student welfare but a principled stand against the PNDC’s rule, agitating for a return to civilian government.
He recounted a pivotal moment when the government restructured university administration and introduced student loans, effectively ending the era of fully-funded tertiary education.
Prior to this, students received free meals and housing, with two students per room. The move to a loan system sparked a major nationwide protest, leading to the shutdown of all universities.
Dr. Adutwum shared a memorable anecdote from the protest at UST.
He recalled how the then-student representative council (SRC) president was persuaded by his father to apologise to Rawlings through the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware.
This apology, intended to allow students to return to school, was seen as a betrayal by the student body. In a powerful display of internal accountability, the students successfully impeached their leader for apologising, underscoring their unwavering commitment to the cause.
He concluded that these experiences—organising protests, boycotting classes, and holding their own leaders accountable—served as an invaluable “leadership training ground” that shaped his political convictions and those of his contemporaries.
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