Chaos broke out on the Miotso campus of Central University as angry vendors disrupted activities, demanding immediate refunds from the Student Representative Council (SRC) following the abrupt cancellation of the annual SRC Week celebrations.
The management of the university suspended all remaining festive activities midway through the week after a dramatic campus raid by operatives of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC). The sting operation resulted in the arrest of several students, with university authorities later confirming that five individuals remain in NACOC custody assisting with ongoing investigations into alleged illicit drug activities on campus.
While management defended the cancellation as a necessary step to review campus security and event protocols, the decision has triggered a severe financial crisis for local business owners who invested heavily to secure operational slots during the high-traffic event.
Furious traders have accused the student leadership of fraud, citing a lack of communication and accountability. Many vendors claims they were left completely in the dark, only finding out about the suspension of the trade fair via social media platforms like Snapchat while their goods sat unsold.
The financial stakes are high for the affected entrepreneurs. Vendors reported paying flat registration fees of GH₵1,000 directly to the SRC just to secure their stalls. This was topped by steep logistical expenses, with some traders noting they spent upwards of GH₵250 on transportation alone to haul perishable inventory and equipment to the campus.
With the sudden shutdown, vendors are now faced with massive operational losses and are refusing to leave the campus without full compensation. They argue that they should not bear the financial brunt of a security breach caused by students and the subsequent administrative fallout.
Efforts to reach the Central University SRC executives for comment have so far proven futile. The student leadership has reportedly gone silent and remains unreachable, further escalating tensions on campus as traders vow to sustain their agitation until their registration fees and sunk logistics costs are fully refunded.
