Residents of Sumbrungu in Ghana’s Upper East Region protested against Bolgatanga Technical University Vice Chancellor Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, calling for his dismissal over unfulfilled land compensation and employment pledges.
Demonstrators carried placards stating “VC Must Go” and “VC is Wicked,” citing a decade-long breach of a Memorandum of Understanding signed when the community donated land for campus expansion.
Community leader Johnson Agolmah told Asaase News: “The community voluntarily gave that parcel for a satellite campus. It was agreed each plot would be compensated at GHC2,000, but over 10 years later, no payment occurred. Now the university says it’s no longer interested.”
Agolmah condemned the unilateral withdrawal without compensation or consultation, stating: “We are development partners. The community gave this land in good faith. If the university wants to expand later, where will they get land? We think the current leadership lacks vision.”
Vice Chancellor Alnaa defended the decision, citing financial constraints and changing conditions. “Originally the cost was GHC880,000, but due to limitations, we couldn’t pay immediately,” he said. Funding attempts through GETFund and the dissolved SADA agency failed. Alnaa added that a GHC200,000 partial payment offer was rejected after the community increased demands to GHC2,500 per plot plus costs for relocating graves, sacred groves, and economic trees.
“Every time we negotiated, new variables emerged – more conditions, more costs. Even negotiators sought personal compensation,” Alnaa stated. The university formally withdrew via legal letter, deeming terms unsustainable.
Protesters additionally accused BTU of violating job prioritization agreements. “That agreement has been completely ignored. Our people are excluded from unskilled positions, and concerns get dismissed,” Agolmah said. Residents emphasized their demands extend beyond compensation to institutional respect and inclusion.
“We weren’t consulted about abandoning the land. This concerns our youth’s future,” Agolmah stressed. While Alnaa signaled openness to dialogue, protesters seek tangible action over apologies.
The conflict highlights persistent tensions between Ghanaian educational institutions and host communities regarding land rights and equitable development partnerships.
