The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it is skeptical about the announcement by government that it has lifted an embargo on the recruitment of lecturers into public universities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still a bit apprehensive. In other words, we are taking the information with a pinch of salt basically because we are yet to confirm with our management to see whether they have received any notification to that effect. The President has made similar statements over the few months that he had asked the Ministry of Finance to fast-track clearance processes for recruitment to be made. That\u2019s about three months or so ago. It would be a welcome piece of news provided management can confirm.\u201d<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”gNdiltigaMuCpjqA0Wbp5WlomFVNJbKs”]The National President of UTAG, Dr. Harry Agbenu, told Citi News<\/strong> the announcement is surreptitious.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have our doubts because for some time now, government has been insisting that there\u2019s no ban on recruitment in education and in health. But if now, we are saying that the Ministry of Finance has now authorized that lecturers should be recruited, then we see a bit of contradiction in that earlier statement and the new one that has been made.\u201d<\/p>\n UTAG has consistently agitated over the moratorium, and demanded it suspension for what they say is a critical need for essential staff in the various public Universities.<\/p>\n They had subsequently threatened to boycott student admissions for the 2016\/2017 academic if the ban was not lifted.<\/p>\n According to Dr. Agbenu, it is problematic that these public universities have to be cleared by the Finance Ministry before they can recruit.<\/p>\n \u201cOur universities should not take directives from the Ministry of Finance whether to recruit or not. Our universities should have the autonomy to recruit as and when they need human resource to be able to run their programmes. If they have to wait until Ministry of Finance authorizes them to recruit, then they will not be able to run like any university all over the world. Recruitment to the Universities should not be left to the whims and caprices of the Ministry of Finance; that is not its duty.\u201d<\/p>\n President Mahama, announced over the weekend, at the maiden graduation ceremony of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, that government has given clearance<\/a><\/strong><\/span> for the recruitment.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me also announce that, the Ministry of Finance has granted financial clearance for the recruitment of 1,018 lecturers to boost the faculty of our universities all over the country. Let me add that, this is an approval of the full requests that were made by all the universities in this country. We have not reduced the figure, the full request made by every university has been granted and that\u2019s 1,018 new lecturers.\u201d
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\nBy: Sixtus Dong Ullo \/Citifmonline.com \/Ghana<\/p>\n