Residents of Sumbrungu, the host community of Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), took to the streets on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in a spirited demonstration to protest what they described as persistent neglect, broken promises, and disrespect by the university’s leadership.
Wearing red bands and holding placards with messages such as “Justice for Sumbrungu” and “BTU Must Respect Traditional Authority,” the demonstrators marched through parts of the community, ending at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, where a petition was read aloud.
The protesters, led by the Sumbrungu Youth Association for Development, cited grievances including the alleged unilateral cancellation of a land-use agreement, poor sanitation on university premises, and the systematic exclusion of locals from employment opportunities. They called for immediate reforms and the dismissal of BTU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa.
Reading the petition on behalf of the community, the President of the Sumbrungu Youth Association, Mr. Albert Adongo, accused the university of violating agreements made at its inception.
“At BTU’s inception, it was agreed that menial and low-ranking jobs—such as cleaners, security personnel, and labourers—would prioritize Sumbrungu residents,” Mr. Adongo stated. “However, today, out of over 70 workers in these roles, only 17 are from our community. The worst case is that when a community member retires or dies, there is no replacement from Sumbrungu.”
He added that highly qualified natives with PhDs, Master’s degrees, and other certifications are consistently overlooked in favour of non-locals. “This is not just unfair; it is a betrayal of trust,” he declared.
Among the demands listed in the petition were employment equity—including a quota system to prioritize Sumbrungu residents in both academic and non-academic roles—transparent recruitment processes to eliminate perceived favoritism, and sanitation reforms, including an emergency cleanup and regular maintenance of BTU’s drainage systems.
A central demand of the protest was the immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa. Protesters argued that a leadership change is essential to restoring trust and repairing relations between the university and its host community.
“We have exhausted all avenues of dialogue,” said Clemencia Akolgo, a youth activist. “We are not against education; we are against exclusion and disrespect.”
The petition has been submitted to the university and to the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Donatus Akamugri Atanga, with community leaders urging urgent intervention.
In response to the allegations, Mr. Stanley Abopam, Head of Budget at BTU, addressed the issues on Bolga FM’s Tinmaalgo Sanga program on June 4.
“What they have said is not entirely true,” Mr. Abopam argued. “If you consider those who are engaged in sweeping, there are 25 women—11 of them from Sumbrungu, which is 44%. Labourers number 7 in total, with 4 from Sumbrungu, that’s 54%. For security, 8 out of 16 are from Sumbrungu, which is 50%,” he said, among other examples.
He also clarified that no formal agreement on employment quotas was ever documented, but acknowledged that “it is a known tradition that when land is given, some benefit is expected.”
However, Mr. Abopam emphasized the broader mandate of the university: “BTU is not just for Sumbrungu. It’s for Bolgatanga, the Upper East Region, and the entire country. It is a national institution.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Joseph Napoleon Anaaya|Ghana
