The officials were asked to step aside after it was discovered that some files at some offices under investigation in the school, had gone missing.

Interdiction was unfair

[contextly_sidebar id=”Nx9Qwyti2GaURZ2hythVNV9rVEuF8InB”]Speaking on Eyewitness News however, Secretary of the local chapter of UTAG at UEW, Dr. Ahmed Jinapor said the interdiction was “unfair ”, since the High Court of Winneba had placed an injunction on the Vice Chancellor to stay away from work  since July 14.

He also indicated that, the interdiction was flawed, given that Mr. Jinapor was not given a fair hearing.

“The Vice Chancellor has been asked to step aside by a competent court of jurisdiction over this whole issue. The issue of financial malfeasance, misappropriation of funds is before a competent court of jurisdiction and the High Court based on its hearings from both sides of the pendulum has come to the conclusion that we are going to give a verdict on the 28^th of November, so why come out with this letter telling him to step aside again on an allegation that he has not even been questioned.  He was never given an opportunity to defend himself,” argued Mr. Jinapor.

Mr. Jinapor believes the UEW Council could have resorted to a more suitable approach if it was indeed established that the officials had a hand in the development.

“Since July 14, the Vice Chancellor was asked to step aside and he never went to the office and if he never went to the office how could he have pulled files from the office? And if he did that, will amount to contempt of court? The best way to go about this is to fight him for contempt. Our fear and our hope and our prayer is that, this decision does not lead the Winneba  High Court in its decision. If it is anything of that sort, I can tell you for a fact that UTAG is going to resist it. If it means going to court to challenge it, why not?” he said.

“We are very unhappy about this, and we think that Counsel should as a matter of urgency, revisit the decision that has been taken, and they should more or less see their stance in terms of the impasse that is going on in the University. The Council should be the body that anybody can fall on if anyone is being maltreated,” Mr. Jinapor added.

Background

A Winneba High Court in July ordered the Vice Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff held that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post UEW UTAG threatens suit over interdiction of VC, others appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to a copy of the application sighted by Citi News, the plaintiffs have filed the application because the then-President of UTAG-UEW Chapter, Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, did not consult members before filing a court process in September in the name of the Association, hence their decision to challenge the actions of their President.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZPDvCUkUN3sd8eIFZgb7JjPWBbDJhGlO”]The latest action relates to a writ filed in May 2017, where one Supi Kofi Kwayera, adduced that the university’s council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry failed to constitute a new governing council for the university.

The plaintiffs, in their lawsuit, said Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe’s decision came as “a surprise and a shock, since no meeting was ever convened on the Kumasi campus, Mampong campus or Wineba campus to take a decision to meddle in the court case.”

They also said Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe did not have the capacity to represent the UTAG UEW chapter “since no such consent and authority was given to him by the members to depose an affidavit in court.”

Aside from the other issues raised, the plaintiffs added that, Dr. Atuguba “was never engaged by members through any resolution.”

“In effect, no decision was ever taken by UTAG UEW chapter to appoint Dr. Raymond Atuguba as its lawyer,” the lawsuit added.

Background to UEW litigation

A Winneba High Court in July ordered the Vice-Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice-Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff held that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

The order from the court was described as an attack on academic freedom, hence the agitation from some lecturers.

–

By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post University of Education lecturers ‘clash’ over lawsuit appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to them, they have witnessed a demonstration of good faith by the school’s management towards fixing the challenges.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fcd9I1lQxPin0G0WyjDJwJeFWjxEeihL”]The lecturers declared the strike over what they described as poor conditions in the school, which they claimed negatively affected teaching and learning.

Organizer of the Accra Technical University branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana, Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, told Citi News on Monday that the school management had begun addressing some of the challenges they raised last week.

“We decided to call off the strike. Our demands for the short-term have been met. Things like the sockets have been fixed, ceiling fans, louver blades have been fixed and the washrooms are in good shape now so we decided to suspend the strike as we look at the long-term and short-term…Effective this morning, we’ve suspended the strike so we are calling on students to come back and lecturers are going to teach from now.”

Meanwhile, most students who were seen on the school’s campus on Monday, were unaware that the lecturers had resumed work, as some were seen studying on their own in groups.

But Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, said he was optimistic that studies will return to normal by noon on Tuesday, adding that the leadership of the lecturers’ union had publicized notices of their resumption to duty.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Accra Technical University lecturers call off strike appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The strike was in protest of the court ruling which directed the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), to step aside temporarily.

[contextly_sidebar id=”4Bb54sXbR3EoJhcVJqb8xLBu8D9hTKSn”]It was solidarity with some members of UTAG-UEW, who had already laid down their tools since July 2017.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of UTAG, asked the UTAG-UEW to continue with the strike action embarked upon in July 2017, and directed all members in public Universities throughout the country to withdraw their teaching services beginning Monday, September 18.

But after a closed-door meeting with Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG), the National President of UTAG, Dr. Harry Agbanu, said the suspension of the strike was to allow the VCG a two-week period to intervene in the matter.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Agbanu said, “they [VCG] have appealed to us to suspend the action as they take some steps to resolve the issue, so we have also agreed with them, that we will suspend our action and give them time to make efforts to resolve the problem.”

“… if there is no success in terms of the restoration of the issue, then we know the next step to take so when we come out fully. You people will understand that we have done all we could to be able to resolve this issue. So the position is that, we are going back to our classrooms from tomorrow [Tuesday], pending the outcome of the steps the VCG wants to take to resolve the issue.”

Response to ineffective strike

Citi News’ checks at some of Ghana’s major public universities showed that lectures had gone on as normal, despite the call for the strike.

Citi News can confirm that many UTAG members across the country are divided over the decision to strike, particularly because the matter they are striking over is a subject that is being tackled in the court of law.

But Dr. Agbanu said today [Monday], was the first day of the strike, and “obviously, some members probably did not even hear the fact that we were going on strike.”

“Normally, strikes begin this way and gather momentum. So today being the first day, it is expected that those who didn’t know would go to the classroom,” he added.

Background to UEW litigation

A Winneba High Court in July ordered the Vice Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff held that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

The order from the court was described as an attack on academic freedom, hence its agitation.

–

By: Caleb Kudah/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UTAG suspends ‘ineffective’ strike over UEW saga appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The strike is in solidarity with the UTAG-UEW, whose members have already laid down their tools since July 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”CM0826hY5KUWIMq924UX7Ko1l2c8okoF”]UTAG views the court’s directive as an attack on academic freedom, which it believes might affect all public universities in the country.

Justifying their decision, President of UTAG, Harry Agbanu, said the protest is aimed at fighting the “menace of unwanted interference in University education.”

“The court in its pronouncement asked that the man should step aside until the governing council is formed, so the governing council has the right to vary the decision of the court, and this is the case that the governing council is not doing that, and this same governing council has written to withdraw the case from the court so where do we go?”

Background

A Winneba High Court in July ordered the Vice Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff held that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

–

By: Fred Tettey Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UTAG embarks on indefinite strike today appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This strike is in solidarity with the UTAG-UEW, whose members have already laid down their tools since July 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bYVzvulH5BDKjfBfiA0QzUUTxirVnFwi”]The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the UTAG at an emergency meeting held at University of Professional Studies, Accra, on September 11, 2017, asked the UTAG-UEW to continue with the strike action embarked upon in July 2017.

It further directed that “UTAG members in all the other public Universities throughout the country should withdraw their teaching services beginning Monday, September 18, 2017, in solidarity with UTAG-UEW.”

UTAG is of the view the court directive was “an attack on academic freedom, and thus, affects all public Universities in Ghana.”

The UTAG National Executive Committee, however, appealed to all members to “diligently perform all other duties placed on them by their appointments.”

Background

A Winneba High Court in July ordered the Vice Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff held that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

Find below the full statement

UTAG PRESS RELEASE ON THE UEW ISSUE

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at an emergency meeting held at University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on September 11, 2017 has asked UTAG-UEW to continue with the strike action embarked upon on July 14, 2017 following a court order instructing the substantive Vice Chancellor to step aside.

NEC further directs that UTAG members in all the other public Universities throughout the country should withdraw their teaching services beginning Monday, September 18, 2017 in solidarity with UTAG-UEW. It is our firm belief that the issue at UEW is an attack on academic freedom and, thus, affects all public Universities in Ghana. The National Executive Committee, however, appeals to all members to diligently perform all other duties placed on them by their appointments. This decision has become necessary as a result of the following:

The recently inaugurated Governing Council of University of Education, Winneba (UEW) does not seem to be interested and for that matter serious in resolving the issue. Particularly, the posturing of the Council Chairman, who has rather made matters worse by writing to the University lawyer to withdraw the whole appeal process by the University from the Appeals Court and the Stay of Execution of the injunction order issued by the High Court. This is a clear case of ill intention in pursuit of sabotaging the substantive Vice Chancellor.

The imposition of an Acting Vice Chancellor by the High Court on UEW, as against UEW’s Act and Statutes, is an act considered as an element of attack on Academic Freedom.

The lack of interest exhibited by the Ministry of Education in the matter; it may interest the Public to know that there has not been any representation from the Ministry since the court processes started although it is listed as the Second Respondent. This unconcerned posturing was further exacerbated by the decision of the Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education not to facilitate a meeting with some personalities in an attempt to resolve the issue amicably. This idea was initiated by UTAG and communicated to the Minister following the President’s call on UEW’s Council to resolve the UEW impasse amicably.

The resolve of UTAG to at all times protect and preserve the sanctity of Academic Freedom and the sanity of the working environment of its members on all of its constituent campuses.

NEC also gives a one-week ultimatum within which the current impasse in UEW should be resolved. Considering what happens, however, NEC will review its decision at the up-coming UTAG Congress, to be held on September 22, 2017 at the University of Cape Coast.

Thank you.

Signed:

HARRY L. K. AGBANU PH.D.

(NATIONAL PRESIDENT)

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UTAG to strike on Sept.18 in solidarity with UEW appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Spokesperson for the graduates, Alfred Kumah Brown said the absence of governing councils is hampering the smooth running of technical universities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7sgY2mTSjqm5mHSrgQWrAPDbOJ3f0bPH”]He said students who have successfully completed their programmes of study have no certificates due to the inability of these institutions to organize graduation ceremonies.

“We have completed school over a year now without certificates. It is not that we failed our courses. We passed! We paid our school fees and we successfully completed the various courses, but here we are today without a certificate.”

“It is unfortunate that a government which talks about industrialization still does not want to give attention to technical universities. We plead with the Nana Addo government to constitute governing councils,” Mr. Brown pleaded.

Constitute Councils for Universities or face our wrath – UTAG

In July, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) gave government a two-week ultimatum to constitute Councils of the various universities in the country or face their wrath.

The National President of UTAG, Harry Agbanu, said the situation had left universities in a state of inaction thus threatening upcoming graduation and crucial contracts among others.

“UTAG has noted with extreme dismay that government since taking office on 7 July 2017, has not been able to constitute the Councils of public universities in Ghana. The government’s inability to do this, while having constituted other important boards of the state after six good months of office, we believe demonstrates government’s lack of concern of the health of public universities. NEC of UTAG feels strongly it is unacceptable and even unethical for public universities management and administration, and the sooner government constitutes these Councils the better.”

UTAG’s request for the constitution of Governing Councils followed a suit by private citizen, Supt. Kofi Kwayera against the University of Education, Winneba, and the Education Ministry over the unlawful extension of the school’s Governing Council’s tenure.

The leadership of technical universities in Ghana had also issued a two-week ultimatum to government to immediately constitute governing councils for their respective schools.

According to them, the non -existence of governing councils in various technical universities and polytechnics is hampering the smooth administration of the schools.

In the midst of pressure on government to constitute these boards, the acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay has asked state institutions to be patient as government is in the process of constituting the boards.

He explained that the process requires time since government will have to adhere to the constitutional provisions.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Graduates stage demo to demand governing councils appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Council, which will be chaired by Prof. Yaw Twumasi was inaugurated today at the University of Ghana by the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.

A letter signed by the Office of the President and signed by the Chief of Staff, Frema Opare named the members of the Council including 5 presidential nominees.

The Council is made up of 11 representatives of the various stakeholders including the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Tertiary Education Workers’ Union (TEWU).

The inauguration follows series of complaints by various education stakeholders over the non-existence of a Governing Council for the various public Universities in the country after the expiration of the term of the previous Council.

A private citizen, Supi Kofi Kwayera, recently sued the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), and the Education Ministry for what he said was the unlawful extension of the Governing Council’s tenure.

The move came after the Member of Parliament for Effutu, Afenyo Markin, called for the immediate withdrawal of the thousands of certificates issued by the University of Education, Winneba, since 2013, because they were authorized by a Council whose tenure of office had expired.

The Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah while inaugurating the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) on Monday announced that the Councils for the other Universities including the University of Ghana will be announced this week.

The management of some of the Universities had earlier told Citi News the non-existence of a functioning Governing Council was hampering the smooth running of the schools.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh in his address urged the new council to help the University of Ghana promote practical training and also ensure that graduates acquire the skills and human resource demands of industry.

See the list of the Council Members below:

President’s nominees

Prof. Yaw Twumasi- Chairman

Dr. Ama Essel

Prof. Akua Kuenyahia

Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu

Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah

Vice Chancellor

Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu

Rep UG Alumni Association

Mr. Kwasi Yankey

Convocation (teaching staff)

Prof. Kodzo Gavua

Convocation (Non-teaching staff)

Mrs. Cynthia Adu

National Council for Tertiary Education

Prof. Mohammed Salifu

A Vice-Chancellor of an African University

Dr. Max Price

CHASS

Mrs.Anastacia Thomford Okyere

UG SRC

Mr. Daniel Otting Awuah

GRASAG

Mr. Eric Oyeman Ato Brown

UTAG

Dr. Harry Lawson Kwaku Agbanu

TEWU

Mr. Kenneth Botchway

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 16-member University of Ghana Council inaugurated appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Association, their members at the UEW campus who are currently on strike are being forced to work under what it described as “court imposed management.”

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, President of UTAG, Dr. Harry Agbenu said they will resist such attacks.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NikqGPAE9GOOzYauYqShyRpo56YgCt09″]“The situation that we are having now is that our members in Winneba are being forced to work under a court imposed management against the rule, against the status. And for us we consider that as an attack on academic freedom.”

“So our principle is that…once academic freedom which is the prerequisite for any serious academic work in any university or anywhere in the world is under attack, we as members of UTAG have vowed to ourselves that we will resist that; even if it is the court, presidency, or anybody, whether it is political or whatever, that is not what we are thinking about,” he added.

But the lawyer for the plaintiff in the case, Alex Afenyo Markin who earlier argued that the lecturers are in contempt of the court over their strike while speaking on Eyewitness News rejected claims that the court’s decision is an attack on academic freedom.

“If UTAG is so dissatisfied, they should file an appeal. Academia holds our conscience as a society. They must not do anything that would undermine judges. They talk about freedom; they must understand that judges have freedom. UTAG is acting in bad faith. UTAG is setting a bad example for society,”  Afenyo Markin who is also the Member of Parliament for Efutu added.

Background

A Winneba High court last week ordered the Vice Chancellor of UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

The order also affected the institution’s Finance Officer.

The order was made in a case brought before the court by Supi Kofi Kwayera who insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The plaintiff adduced that the University’s Council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This, Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

However, before the substantive claims were looked into, the University, through its lawyers, applied to the court to dismiss the suit on the three counts, but the application was dismissed.

The University’s branch of the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) also applied to join the application but it was turned down.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post UEW crisis: Court ruling attack on academic freedom – UTAG appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to some of the lecturers, their President, Dr. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, did not consult them before declaring the strike.

This was triggered by last Friday’s court ruling which directed the Vice Chancellor to step aside temporarily.

The spokesperson for the Concerned Lecturers, Isaac Brako, said the executives must be sanctioned for taking that arbitrary decision.

[contextly_sidebar id=”f87q01OTYEYG6NpACPlfTLlocpF1M9GH”]“National UTAG will tell you that the various campuses should declare a strike before national will take it up. So what has changed that this time around, our local executives are taking a major decision without seeking the consent of the rank and file. They have demonstrated that they don’t respect us. It took our votes to get them there. And if something has happened and you don’t see the need to seek my consent then it’s a kind of disrespect,” he added.

Meanwhile, lawyer for the plaintiff challenging the eligibility of school’s Vice chancellor and other staff, Alex Afenyo Markin, argued that the executives of UTAG are in contempt of court for declaring the strike.

“If a court makes an order and you disagree, you appeal it but to attempt to do anything directly and indirectly to undermine the integrity of the court or bring the authority of the court to disrespect will amount to contempt of the court,” he added.

Background

In a 23rd May 2017 writ issued, the plaintiff [Supi Kwayera] adduced that the university’s council’s mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry 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.

This Mr. Kwayera insisted was unlawful, and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.

However, before the substantive claims were looked into, the University, through its counsel, applied to the court to dismiss the suit on the three counts, but the application was dismissed.

The University’s branch of the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) as a respondent subsequently applied to joint the application.

The High Court in Winneba on July 14, 2017, ordered the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until the case brought against him is determined.

The court order also affects the school’s Finance Officer.

The UEW branch of UTAG subsequently declared a strike to protest against the court’s ruling.

Isaac Brako, who was angered over the strike in an article said “are we not ashamed of ourselves? Or have we been blinded by intellectualism? Way back in 2013, Alex Afenyo Markin started drawing government and our attention to the ramifications of an improperly constituted governing council, where were we?”

“We will not allow you, few self-seeking leeches and vampires, to destroy where we take our daily bread. The University is running and will run. Do not dare try anything funny this time else you will regret it. We are also calling on government to constitute our Governing Council as soon as possible,” he added.

–

By: Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UEW UTAG divided over strike against court ruling appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.