The management of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) says it has not flouted any court order stopping it from holding any impending student elections.

The school’s statement was in response to a letter it received from lawyers of the interim GIJ Students Representative Council (SRC) cautioning it to cease all processes to conduct SRC elections.

According to the interim SRC, the school’s 15-member Interim Management Committee had initiated proceedings in preparations towards the conduct of SRC elections with some candidates being vetted to contest the elections.

The interim SRC made up of Alimatu Quaye, Edinam Adoboe, Bryan Sarpong and Esther Dorman who are seeking a court order to overturn their removal from office warned that GIJ risks being cited for contempt if it does not back down on such actions.

“Any act which seeks to interfere or prejudice the pendency of an action or seeks to lower the image of the Court or bring that image into disrepute or disrespect amounts to contempt of Court.”

“Accordingly, I wish to draw your attention to the pending suit and to advise that you direct the Interim Management Committee to put a stop to their activities towards the holding of the SRC elections otherwise risk the management of the Institute as well as members of the Interim Management Committee being cited for contempt,” they said.

But in a response signed by Rector of GIJ, Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, the Institute said it had not been served with any injunction notice to even stand a risk of being cited for contempt.

It also denied supervising the supposed new processes aimed at electing new executives for the Student Representative Council, adding that, despite its non-involvement in the process, it has notified the student leaders championing the elections of the pending court case.

“The interim student leaders of GIJ were elected by members of the student body, and they are therefore independent to conduct their activities and management cannot direct or commandeer them to act in a certain manner. Management can only advise or intervene when students have approached management to do so…. Nevertheless, management has approached the students and indicated to them that there is a case pending against the management of GIJ and advised them on the contents of your letter. Students claim that they have been advised by their own lawyers that there is no injunction order from a court of law requesting them to halt their elections.  They are [therefore] free to conduct their elections,” the school said.

Source: citifmonline