A Senior Lecturer at the University of Education Winneba (UEW) Dr Frimpong Duku has stated that the university has not been working effectively ever since the Akufo-Addo’s government assumed office in January 2017.

He explained that a new governing council has not been constituted to oversee activities of the university after the old one was dissolved in 2017 when there was a change in government.

‘…What it means is that government should be proactive, for instance from January 2017 up to now, since the change of government (Akufo-Addo’s government), the university has not been working because there is no council, what it means is that issues or activities that are supposed to be sanctioned or endorsed by the council cannot be done. Matriculation, graduations, decisions, appointments cannot be done because there is no council,’ he said.

Speaking on Ultimate Breakfast Show with Lantam Papanko, he prayed that politicians do not mingle with the educational system, bemoaning the liberty given to politicians by the law.

‘A new council formed in 2016 was dissolved after change in government. It wasn’t only Winneba University, almost all Councils of universities were asked to step aside after a new government took over…Government has four appointees on the council, normally when there is change of government, the new one nominates new members unto the council including the board chairman, so the old ones are asked to step aside, until new ones are constituted,’ he said.

The four campuses of the university Winneba, Ajumako, Kumasi, Mampong have been temporarily shut down following a High court order following a lawsuit by Kofi Kwayera represented in court by Member of Parliament of Effutu constituency Alexander Afenyo Markins.

In line with the decision of the court, the members of the university community, comprising of UTAG executives, deans, Heads of department and representatives of senior members decided to shut down the university until, Friday when the substantive case is heard.

Dr Duku bemoaned operation of the system with the absence of the university’s leadership.

He wondered why the counsel (Afenyi Markins) for the plaintiff would want to drag the name of the school into public ridicule when he knew that the mandate of the council was extended after members ended their tenure in 2013.

Dr Duku further questioned if the MP/Counsel has not weighed the consequences of his actions asking why the MP is now making noise about the council by nullifying all activities.

‘We cannot just ask the leadership to stay off whiles the others work, what it means it that, even when we go to work, we will not be paid, because the finance officer is not working, the Vice Chancellor, most of the activities of the council you now term illegal, you want to legalise it by telling the leadership to handover supervisory role to the pro-vice chancellor that the same council approved,’ he stated.

Background:

The closure comes after the university was sued at the Winneba High Court in connection with a writ brought by Kofi Kwayera represented in court by Member of Parliament of Effutu Alexander Afenyo Markins challenging the legality of certain actions taken by the governing council of the university.