UEW new Vice Chancellor takes office

Barring any last-minute hitches, President Akufo-Addo will attend the investiture and induction of the fourth Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) today, Monday, September 17, 2018.

Rev Fr. Professor Anthony Afful-Broni, who has been endorsed by the Vice Chancellors of Public Universities of Ghana, is believed to be the first Catholic priest to be appointed to such a position.

He was appointed in an acting capacity after the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba, dismissed five principal officers of the institution.

The five were the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mawutor Avoke, who was serving a suspension; Finance Officer, Dr. Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie, Daniel Tetteh, Mary Dzimey and Frank Owusu Boateng.

The five ex-officers were interdicted in July 2017 by the UEW’s Governing Council to allow for investigations after it emerged that some vital documents at some offices at the heart of an ongoing investigation had gone missing.

A Winneba High Court, it would be recalled, in 2017 ordered Professor Mawutor Avoke, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.

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

The plaintiff argued that the University’s Council mandate had expired in November 2013, but the Education Ministry failed to constitute a new Governing Council for UEW, and rather permitted the defunct one which had no mandate whatsoever to continue the functions of a properly constituted Governing Council as if same had been properly constituted.

That paved way for Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni to get the UEW’s top job to become the fourth Vice Chancellor of the prestigious institution.

The University’s Governing Council, at an emergency meeting held on February 22, 2018, appointed him as the acting Vice-Chancellor.

His appointment took effect from Thursday, February 22, 2018.

President Akufo-Addo, who would end his four-day official tour of the Central Region today, is to grace the occasion as the special Guest of Honour and the ceremony is due to commence at about 12noon at the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Conference Centre, North Campus, Winneba.

Information to that effect was indicated in a letter signed by the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh and addressed to the Secretary to the president, Nana Asante Bediatuo, as well newspaper advertisements.

The Vice Chancellors of Ghana have urged Prof Afful-Broni to chart a new course for the school.

In a letter, they stated that “you are no doubt unaware of the challenges that the University has gone through in recent times. You thus, have a daunting task ahead since expectations are high.”

“This definitely should translate into quality of relationships, as well as the nature of teaching, learning and research that will be carried out by faculty and students in the University,” the Vice Chancellors’ letter added.

In addition to endorsement from the Vice Chancellors of Ghana, the newly-appointed Vice Chancellor is set to enjoy support from lecturers at the university in order to make his tenure a successful one.

A Senior Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Ahmed Jinapor, has called for support for Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni.

He appealed to his colleagues to support Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni to enable him advance the cause of the institution during his term.

Dr. Jinapor bemoaned the political polarisation that has torn the school apart, noting that the time has come to rebuild bridges in the university.

About Prof. Afful-Broni

Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni was born on Wednesday, November 23, 1960 at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Hospital at Assin Foso in the Central Region.

In 1982 while at the St. Peter’s Regional Major Seminary, Pedu, Cape Coast, he was offered the opportunity to study at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, obtaining a Diploma in Sacred Theology in 1986.

In July 1988, he was ordained a Catholic Priest at the St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Cape Coast by the late Reverend John Kodwo Amissah.

Between 1988 and 1989, the newly ordained Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni worked as a tutor and chaplain at the Archbishop Porter Girls’ Polytechnic and St. Mary’s Vocational Centre in Elmina.