Tertiary Education Minister denies existence of public universities bill

The Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education in Ghana, Professor Kwesi Yankah, has dismissed claims that there is new public universities bill, which is seeking to concentrate power in the hands of government in running public universities.

Speaking on TV3’s current affairs programme, Kaptured by Women, on Saturday, the minister said what currently exists, and is being reported in the media as a bill is only a preparatory document that has gotten into wrong hands.

He said the document can be likened to a family discussion which is still in progress with relevant stakeholders: the public universities, lecturers and the Ministry of Education, still engaging.

Prof. Yankah said he is disappointed at the turn of events, especially with the impression created in the public that there is a new public universities bill.

Meanwhile, private legal practitioner, Yaw Sarpong, who contributed to the issue on TV3‘s The Key Points observed that the document as leaked to the public does not have anything on it to show it is still at “preparatory stages or a draft”.

According to him, there is no “draft” on the copy of the document he has.

He has, however, said it is a sound decision for government to want to pass a law which will synchronise all the laws governing the various tertiary institutions in the country.

In his estimation, there is nothing wrong.

New Public Universities Bill to consolidate laws; nothing wrong – Lawyer
Some members of the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG), Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and a section of the public, however, fear the new bill, when passed will compromise the semi-autonomous status of public universities and have vowed to resist it.

An associate professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Yaw Gyampo, has for instance described the bill as “absurd” and “bogus”.