The workers, on Saturday, boycotted an induction ceremony for the Rector, whom they have accused of financial malfeasance, among other things.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Rn0Z0XfgLjUC314FRRFcNrKO0F98ejvr”]The agitated workers, comprising the Polytechnic Teachers Association, the Polytechnic Administrators Association and the Polytechnic Workers’ Association of the Wa Polytechnic, staged a boycott after the Governing Council of the school reportedly ignored their request for the new Rector to step aside until investigations into the allegations are completed.

The Local Chairman of the Wa Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana, Damie Mubashir said the governing Council ignored their petition calling for a boycott of the induction ceremony in order to avoid embarrassment.

“We petitioned the Governing Council, upon some allegations, that there is financial malfeasance, abuse of office, corruption and they have set up an investigation committee to look at it but we are saying the man should step aside. This was the reason we gave but in the wisdom of the Council, they said once they had invited people, like a face-saving situation. They do not want to embarrass the Council hence they will go ahead with the induction so we said, as a matter of fact, we will not take part in the induction ceremony and that is why we stayed away.”

Mr Mubashir revealed that their members will embark on a strike from next week Monday to drum home their demands.

“We are the people he[Rector] is tormenting. We think it is not necessary to keep him there. We are therefore calling for his removal. On Monday we will not work, we will come and sit down. On Tuesday, we will not work. Next week we will continue until it becomes a cycle.”

Wa Poly lecturers kick against Rector’s induction

The lecturers had earlier called on the Governing Council of the institution to cancel the induction ceremony for the new Rector.

Mr. Mubashir alleged that Professor Marfo-Owusu had procured a vehicle for himself at the cost of over five hundred thousand Ghana cedis without the approval of the Governing Council and hence, should not be inducted.

He further cited other financial irregularities as the basis for their call.

“The Unions are raising red flags against the induction of the Rector. We all know that the induction is an inaugural ceremony for the Rector. He has been in office for one year now. This coming Saturday is the day that Council has scheduled to induct him, but we think it is inappropriate to induct him when there are allegations of financial malfeasance- massive financial fraud against him,” Mr. Mubashir said.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The lecturers declared a strike on Tuesday over what they say are deplorable conditions at the school, which they claim negatively affects teaching and learning.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1wEVmGYE7I4wuseWYSkVOjZntNTBdGRs”]The situation appears to have forced the management of the University into action, with assurances from them that the numerous issues that plague the school will be addressed by the end of the week.

Speaking to Citi News, the Chairman of the  Local branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), Jones Ntiamoah, said that once their challenges are addressed, the lecturers would return to the classrooms.

“Yesterday [Wednesday], at 4:00pm, the local executives together with the national executives met management and after a long deliberation, we were able to agree that the issues we have raised, numbering about eight, could be addressed by the end of the week,” he said

“We could then meet on Monday, assess the situation and if it demands that we return to the classroom, we’ll do so. We are very hopeful with the assurances given us by the acting Vice Chancellor that come Monday, something positive will come.”

He insisted that their strike had the backing of the students who they would contract to assess the work that was being done and report back to them.

“The action we’ve taken has the support of almost everybody on campus including students. They are ready to sacrifice lectures for those basic conditions to be met. I’m even meeting the SRC executives this afternoon. We want them to go round and assess the ongoing works and report accordingly,” he said

“The issues concern basic classroom amenities; projectors, lecturers’ pulpits, sanitation issues, washrooms, water flow, sockets for projectors; basic things you’ll find in a typical University class.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/cititfmonline.com/Ghana

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According to them, sexual harassment and misconduct on campus has become a growing trend, but students do not report such cases for fear of victimization.

At the ‘Speak Up Conference’ organized by the Commission on International Women’s Day, students who have been sexually abused by lecturers shared their sad stories.

Sexually exploitative behaviour, conferring undue favours to influence subordinate staff or students to yield to sexual desires and amorous behaviour between students and teaching staff, are some of the sexual misconducts that the statutes of the University frowns upon.

But Yaa Gyamfua, an executive of the SRC Women’s Commission, believes these rules are often flouted by the very people trusted to uphold it, including the lecturers.
As a result, she said most victims for fear of being victimized, do not report such cases.

“What abuse takes away from you is your dignity; so then you don’t even have much of it left to be going around talking about it in the first place. That accounts for a lot of the reasons why you don’t hear about it (sexual abuse). But truly it happens, a lot of it happens” she stated.

According to her, “For a number of ladies who have approached us, it’s mostly between authorities and students.”

Touching on some other cases of abuse on campus, Gyamfua recalled that “somewhere last semester, someone was raped in between the annexes of Sarbah (Mensah Sarbah Hall) one night when she went to study. Another happened at Athletics Oval some time ago. We just woke up and saw that her clothes had been torn and her panties were left there. I don’t think the girl as at now has been able to show up and report.”

The Chairperson of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee of the University, Prof. Abena Oduro, gave the assurance that female students at the Conference that the University had demoted some lecturers for sexually abusing female students in the past; and will crack the whip on deviant lecturers found culpable.

But the Commission is not satisfied by this assurance. Yaa Gyamfua insists that publishing the full details of deviant lecturers will be deterrent enough to their colleagues in the act.

“When you choose to abuse someone and take away the person’s dignity, then you don’t get to keep yours. So, as and when it happens, I think that we should be able to hear of it. If possible it should be published on the University’s website which will be more shameful, the dailies, as well as the notice boards.”

“We need to know who the perpetrators are. They don’t do it with just one of two people; it’s done to a number of girls. So the publicity alone gives closure to the other girls who are involved perhaps with the same lecturer. Closure in abuse is important for the person to heal. The University should be able to tell us how many lecturers are laid off as and when these things happen. So that we can reduce the rate at which these things happen. I am telling you on authority that it happens almost every day.”

But a final year Political Science major student (name withheld) disagrees with the call. For her, demotion is enough as she fears the stigma affected lecturers will suffer.

“First of all, they wouldn’t be happy if they are demoted. And secondly, I don’t think their details should be put out there because it remains forever. People will get to see it, their children, forever! And it will be out there for everyone and generations to come. I am not sure it will go away. It will be like some kind of stigma not forgetting that the girls could suffer some kind of psychological effects from the harassments they get from these lecturers. But I don’t think that is the right thing to do. Demotion is just perfect, but putting their names out there for me is too much.”

Even though she told Citi News a lecturer at her department has been on her heels since her level 100 days for an amorous relationship, she believes most female students only cry foul after such amorous relationships with their lecturers turn sour, arguing that no lecturer will ever fail any student for denying him sexual gratification.

“If you had no relationship whatsoever with the lecturer and he just comes after you for the first time, you are in the best position to tell him off and nothing is going to happen to you. But the problem is some of the time if not most of the times, you’d find out that the students could have had some amorous relationships with their lecturers; and when things go sour, they come out to say a lecturer harassed them.”
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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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They said it was important for governments and stakeholders to recognize academic freedom within higher institutions of learning, not as a mere paper work as the knowledge produced by the universities were critical for the development of the human resource of the countries.

Their argument was that the constant external interference creates serious challenges for universities and affecting their outputs often negatively.

Dr Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana, at a two-day international workshop on academic freedom for leaders of University Teachers Associations in West Africa, said there was the need to ascertain the real state of the situation of these higher institutions across the globe.

He said globally countries have enshrined such freedoms in their national constitutions, but the fullness of their implementation cannot be guaranteed, judging from the fact that most universities were fully State funded, and their leadership appointed by the government.

He said there has been major violations of academic freedoms within the universities with respect to the programmes they offer, safety of the tenure of work of lecturers, self-checks against influences of the industrial sector to impose their research topics, as well as students’ rights to healthy exchange of knowledge with their tutors.

This, he said, was so because governments often exert too much pressure on academia for them to do what they want, leading to a major interference in the effective operations of Universities.

Dr Appiagyei-Atua said the findings of the study conducted would serve as an eye opener and a guide to awaken the consciousness of stakeholders on the existing challenges faced by universities around the world in order to find lasting solutions to them.

He said the workshop would create the platform for strengthening collaborations and networking among the various University teachers’ Association in the Sub-region, while the University of Ghana, sets up an international desk to coordinate these collaborations.

The University of Ghana would collaborate with the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR Network) to address the issues of university lecturers and provide safety grounds for members who face various threats in their respective countries.

Professor Samuel Offei, the Pro-Vice Chancellor in Charge of Academic and Student Affairs of the University of Ghana, commended the University’s School of Law and the SAR Network, for their collaborative efforts.

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Source: GNA

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It mimicked the late King of Pop’s famous dance moves while performing Slave to the Rhythm, a song from Jackson’s new posthumous album Xscape.

Timberlake’s haul of awards included top artist and Billboard 200 album.

Imagine Dragons won five and Pharrell, Robin Thicke and TI each won four.

Katy Perry was awarded top female artist, while Jennifer Lopez was handed the Icon Award, giving an emotional speech and performing at both the opening and finale of the show.

Many artists performed remotely as they were on tour including Perry – who was in Scotland – and Miley Cyrus, who sang her cover of The Beatles track Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds from the UK, with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.

Accepting the award for top streaming artist Cyrus thanked her “amazing fans” before sticking her tongue out.

Timberlake appeared on screen dancing with his band to accept the evening’s big prize of top artist.

“All the other finalists, Miley, Imagine Dragons, Bruno, Katy, I love you guys, it’s not a competition, but if it is, I won!” he said.

The biggest moment of the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena came when the Michael Jackson hologram took over the stage, accompanied by dancers, beaming lights and blasts of fire – the result of several months planning.

“We tried to do as best we could what we thought Michael would have loved, and those of us who knew Michael really well, we had a good perspective on it,” said Epic Records CEO LA Reid.

Reid worked on the new posthumous album, which topped the UK charts on Sunday.

He added: “But the truth is, you can’t ever really know because he wasn’t there.”

Fans voted to give the Milestone Award to Carrie Underwood, who teamed up with fellow country star Miranda Lambert for a performance.

Imagine Dragons were happy to accept their five awards – which included top group and rock artist, in their home town of Las Vegas.

“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people that believed in our band, in our small band that started here in Las Vegas from the very beginning,” said frontman Dan Reynolds.

Lorde performed her new hit Tennis Court and was a double winner – taking the prizes for best new artist and rock song for Royals.

“This whole thing started for me with a song that was written when I was 15, which I know everyone knows, but what I want to say is I am 17 and a half now and I’m so thankful,” she said.

“That wasn’t a joke,” she added as the crowd laughed. “I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow as a new artist in the spotlight.”

Robin Thicke performed a new song Get Her Back and paid tribute to estranged wife Paula Patton as he collected top R&B song for Blurred Lines.

“Most importantly I’d like to thank my wife for her love and support and for putting up with me all these years,” he told the crowd.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner fared less well on stage, fumbling her words while introducing Australian boyband 5 Seconds of Summer.

“And now we welcome … One …” she said, appearing to be about to say One Direction, before explaining “Guys, I’m the worst reader.”

Source: BBC

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