The Vandals I saw

*The Vandals I saw*

In August/September, 2000, I was admitted to Commonwealth hall (G25), number 34 out of the 68 students who had residential status at the time. I was called all the way from Sephwi bekwai by a friend to check the Ghanaian times of my name appearing as number 34 out of the the 68 students given residential status. I was very elated. My father introduced me to almost every person at Gomoa Mankesim with pride and self accomplishment. He gave me a beautiful Kente, a black suit and a white pant. My mother was very excited as well on my admission and consistently told me to learn very hard and make the family proud.

My mother gave me red oil, fante kenkey and shito to take to Legon. I left Gomoa Mankesim at 4:30am, with the only Accra-bound car at the time. By 6:30am, I was at kaneshie and took a taxi Strait to Commonwealth hall.

I had heard alot of stories about vandals and really wanted to be part of them. I had followed the *mobrowa struggle* which was borne out of the decision by government to introduce cost sharing into the running of university education in Ghana. There was alot of resists at the time by the SRC and NUGS and their agenda was the same – a complete rejection of the policy.

I got to the hall as naive as most of the fresh men from other schools.




*PONDING*

immediately I put my bag in the room, I was approached by a gentleman by name Sumanguru who decided to *cut me water*…. He minced no words and succeeded in taking me to the pond side.. It was something else. In the evening I realised the ponding wasn’t a one day affair… Together with my cousin who was at Akufo Hall, we managed to get Legon hall annex C, popularly called graduates hostel, because it was mainly occupied by graduates. To my amusement VANDALS decided every nook and cranny looking for fresh VANDALS who had sought refuge at the *diaspora*…i was in that room with Benjamin Kwesi Danquah (Akuafo hall) and Pius Apprey We survived the ponding for some weeks before the matriculation. What I will never forget was the orientation given to all fresh VANDALS by the chief VANDAL then called Quorea and his outfit. They gave us a simple message. At the great hall the university will ask you something, don’t make the mistake of saying *YES* , instead say *by all means*. At the great hall, it manifested, the university authorities asked us if we will obey the VC and other regulations in the school.. We responded, *by all means* whilst other students from the other halls said *yes* The procession to the great hall is something I will never forget. The songs, the vim, the excitement, you just couldn’t resist it.

Back in the hall things started shaping up. The vandalism I had always yearning to partake was here with me. I witnessed the first impeachment of the JCR president, Alexander Kk Abban who is currently the MP for Gomoa West and who is my cousin as well. Interestingly his lawyer at the time is the current Attorney General, Godfred Dame. He survived the impeachment by a hairs breadth. I got engrossed with vandalism at the early stages. The songs were captivating. The route March, the minimpinim, the hall week, especially the girlie girlie and VANDALS go rural were occasions one will never miss. The VANDAL DURBAR that ushered in a new chief Vandal was a spectacle. The impeccable rhetorics of obonsam pioto, the colourful display of the VANDAL MIKITIA, the melodious sounds of the CVC and the entire participation of the members of the hall made our hall week the very best . The V-forum was an opportunity for every member of the hall to articulate his views on matters bothering the hall, the university and Ghana as a whole.

We also had occasions for inviting public figures to speak on varied topics at the observatory. I’m very glad to have played a key role in bringing personalities like Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Dr Tony Aidoo, the late president John Evans Atta-Mills, and a host of others to the hall…Vandals took the centre stage for any policy against the students interest. We resisted all obnoxious policies from the university. In my time they introduced the shuttle system where a bus will pick students to and from the halls and lecture halls. As usual VANDALS protested on why the bus should drop VANDALS at wiltex instead of observatory.. Our plea was granted and they started dropping us at observatory.

I witnessed a lot of activities which brought positive tidings to the hall. Our chiefs and the outfit play a significant role in the hall. They coordinate all activities in the hall and counsel members on the real tenets of vandalism…the chiefs and his outfit deserve an applause for holding the fire burning till to-date…. The most memorable moment of my years with the hall was when the hall conferred on me * the most charismatic VANDAL whilst the JCR honoured me as the most Active VANDAL….

We enjoyed every moment of the hall and shared tears when we finally had to exit the great edifice of the greatest hall on the planet. We hold it an exclusive obligatory responsibility to preserve what we met. It is our sacrosanct duty and we will guard it with uttermost care and circumspection…
Commonwealth hall has greatly influenced our lives and we will never abandon the hall.

Long live vandals
Long live all our members

Thanks for reading, mistakes are mine

From the Vandal Wall



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