Accra, September 18, 2017//-Lecturers of public universities in Ghana today embarked on nationwide indefinite strike in solidarity of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education Winneba in the Central Region.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education Winneba was recently asked by a court to step aside.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) insisted that the imposition of an Acting Vice-Chancellor on the University of Education Winneba is against the University’s Act and Statutes and constitutes an attack on academic freedom.
The President of the UTAG, Dr. Harry Agbanu, explained that the strike action is necessary because the association suspects that some faceless persons are manipulating the UEW management.
A statement issued by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG said: “It is our firm belief that the issue at the UEW is an attack on academic freedom and thus affects all public universities in Ghana.”
It would be recalled that a Winneba High court in July, 2017 ordered the Vice-Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the Finance Officer of the school was determined by the University’s Governing Council.
The court order was the result of a suit filed by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct Governing Council.
Mr. Kwayera argued that the University Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, however the Ministry of Education failed to constitute a new Governing Council for the university, and rather allowed and permitted the defunct Governing Council which had no mandate whatsoever to continue the functions of a properly constituted Governing Council as if same had been properly constituted.
He insisted that was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.
African Eye Report
