By: Abdul Shakur Omae
Tension is brewing within the Dagbon Students’ Association (DASA) following a move by the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) Chapter to announce a new slate of regional executives, an action that has been roundly condemned by the current leadership of the Regional DASA.
In a strongly worded press statement released on June 9, 2025, the Regional Secretary of DASA, Sule Iddrisu, refuted claims that the regional executive body had been reconstituted. He stated unequivocally that the existing leadership remains in office and continues to operate under the association’s constitution.
According to Iddrisu, a group of individuals from the TaTU Chapter held a mini-conference at the university’s ICT Auditorium on May 4, 2025, during which they purportedly appointed new regional executives. The group cited the non-student status of the current leaders as a violation of DASA’s principles.
However, the Regional Secretariat has pushed back on this assertion, saying no such rule exists.
“There is nowhere in the constitution of Regional DASA that states executives must be students,” the press release said. “The current executives do not contravene any core principles of DASA.”
The leadership also expressed concern about the legitimacy of the mini-conference, revealing that none of the regional founders, executives, or even the patron, Mr. Ibrahim Mahami, was invited. Furthermore, the release noted that no recognized guest or stakeholder attended the meeting in any official capacity, casting doubt on its credibility and intentions.
Regional DASA accused the TaTU group of acting out of “parochial and selfish interest,” warning stakeholders and the general public to disregard any announcements coming from the group. The statement emphasized that the move threatens the unity and cohesion that DASA has fostered since its regional chapter was formed in 2008.
Calling the claims by the TaTU group “misleading and undeserving of serious consideration,” the Regional Secretariat urged the public, including heads of tertiary and second-cycle institutions and educational directors across the Northern Region, to treat the development with the “disdain it warrants.”
As of now, no official response has been issued by the TaTU Chapter to the statement from the Regional Secretariat. Observers say the rift could escalate if not resolved internally with adherence to DASA’s constitutional procedures and a commitment to dialogue.
