Opinions of Tuesday, 10 October 2017

Columnist: Alhassan Salifu Bawah

The albatross hanging around Victor K. Owusu's neck

file photo file photo

In a clearly contemptuous article titled, "Winneba High Court Judge Has Caused More Harm Than Good To UEW", the failed Professor, hiding his ignorance and incompetence behind Victor K. Owusu, continued his push to be hauled before court for contempt.

It will be beyond comprehension for a so-called Professor to fabricate such palpable lies against a High Court Judge and go scot-free.

Contempt of Court maybe direct or indirect, civil or criminal. The writings of this failed Professor, clearly comes under criminal contempt, in which any act, done in disrespect of the court or its process, or which obstructs the administration of justice or which tend to bring the court into disrepute, satisfies the definition of criminal contempt.

It is expected that when court sitting resumes on Monday 9th October 2017 at the High Court, Winneba, Victor K. Owusu, wherever he maybe holed up like a 'rat', would be subpoenaed by the Court, to substantiate his spurious, outrageous and bizarre allegations against the Judge. Unless this dude is put behind bars for contempt, people of similar character, would not be deterred.

I have tried as much as possible in my previous write-ups, to duel on the provisions of the relevant laws in respect of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) ongoing legal saga.

The 'rats', like Victor K. Owusu, and the one who allegedly misappropriated union proceeds that accrued from the sale of t-shirts, have never backed their gibberish write-ups with either Articles from the 1992 Constitution, or provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) and its amendments to further the course of their voodoo priests.

It is a disgrace to a section of the academia that a 'Professor' would stoop this low and engage in malicious and baseless allegations against the Ag. VC of UEW (Rev. Fr. Prof.Afful-Broni).

No one has pronounced the VC and FO guilty of any offence. This is a matter for the court to decide based on the evidence put before it. I hope these paid hoodlums would be at the High Court, Winneba, from the 9th to the 11th of October 2017, to witness the incontrovertible evidence against their sponsors.

If the demented Victor K. Owusu had bothered to abreast himself with some of the issues that he dishonestly commented on, he would have realised that, Jones Appiah Kubi, the current head of Radio Windy Bay, appointed by the Ag. VC, is the most qualified among the current staff of UEW to occupy that position.

He is a professional journalist and holds an MA and MPhil in Media and Communications Studies. It is interesting to note that, Jones Appiah Kubi's allowance was cut by the FO with the excuse that he did no work.

At a meeting held to restore his allowance, where the Ag. VC, the outgone Registrar, Deputy Registrar (Human Resources) and the Deputy Finance Officer were in attendance, a decision was reached to restore his allowances. To cap it all, his restored allowance is below the allowance of a Coordinator. His allowance is therefore no where near the allowance of a head of department. All parties were invited to the meeting, including Wisdom K. Ayekple for purposes of transparency.

It is true that the Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, NenyiGhartey VII, (if Victor K. Owusu could not properly cite a Paramount Chief's name, then what else can he get right?) and member of the UEW governing council, used a UEW Mercedes Benz car on two occasions to Kumasi.

This was in respect of congregations he attended in his capacity as a council member at the Kumasi and Mampong campuses.

This is the same Chief that the VC and FO went and respectfully removed their footwear and knelt before to plead with him to intervene in the ongoing UEW legal 'web' to have the matter settled out of court. Why should Victor K. Owusu's paymasters go and kneel before NenyiGhartey VII, if he is of no significance when it comes to matters in respect of UEW?

The Paramount Chief deserves to be chauffeured around in a newer UEW official car than that old rickety car that was dumped at the transport pool years ago by the outgone Registrar. This particular car is over 10 years old, and basically used for running errands. The Paramount Chief deserves a much newer car.

Honourable Council Chairman, there is no longer a 5% honorarium payable to so-called officials directly involved in the income generation of UEW, so buying the Paramount Chief a new car, will not have a negative impact on the income generation of UEW.

When previous councils paid for air tickets for council members, this below standard Professor throwing his emptiness around as Victor K. Owusu, saw nothing wrong with it.

Shifting up gears, the council Chairman organised meetings in succession when he assumed the Chairmanship of UEW governing council to forestall a looming lawsuit against UEW by a disgruntled contractor, arising out of the underhand dealings of the very people Victor K. Owusu claims to be innocent.

Basic and simple checks at the Finance Secretariat and Development Office, will confirm this feat chalked by the current council Chairman, Prof.Abakah.
This inept and disgusting Professor, aka Victor K. Owusu, is rather disingenuous to describe anyone else in this world as engaging in tribalism or nepotism.

About 80% of all senior members employed during the reign of the VC, are perceived to come from one ethnic group.

Furthermore, when this character Victor K. Owusu took over as Principal of one of UEW satellite campuses, he ordered the transfer of all staff not aligned to his political party that apparently dispensed with his services arising from his glaring incompetence.

In addition, the faceless Victor K. Owusu's use of UEW resources to further his private gain, is an open secret. On journeys up north, he fuels up his pick up vehicle tank at public expense, and fills up extra containers, which are then loaded onto the bucket of the pick up as back up fuel for the journey to and from the north. His wife allegedly adopts the same dishonest tactic.

His attempt to circumvent Procurement procedures to favour his cronies regarding suppliers to the satellite campus in question, was fiercely resisted by the staff, whom he threatened with dismissal for their insistence on the due process, being adhered to.

Carting his brother's guinea fowls at the expense of UEW from the north down south for sale at UEW campuses, is a well documented fact. His brother sells those guinea fowls at the entrances of UEW campuses, creating inconveniences and health related hazards.

Victor K. Owusu's use of UEW's resources to further the course of his Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) up north, is another feather in his corruption cup.

The appointment of the UEW legal representative (Mr. Peter R. Zwennes) as a member of the Ghana Immigration Board, is not by the NPP government. His membership of the Immigration Board, emanates from his profession as a lawyer. Mr. Peter Zwennes is a nominee of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), on the Ghana Immigration Board.

Another of Victor K. Owusu's malicious and utter falsehoods, laid bare.
The least said about the selective citation of Prof. George Oduro's speech at the UTAG congress at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), where Prof. George Oduro is the Pro VC, the better. Per this singular catastrophic statement, it is not surprising that Victor K. Owusu was confined to the political dustbin.

Prof.Oduro was at some point in the past, Chairman of the Takoradi Polytechnic Council, now Technical University, when the NDC was in power.

Any discerning individual wouldn't have made such a fatal error of judgment by quoting Prof.Oduro lamely. Those who care to know, are aware of Prof.Oduro's political colours, so his speech, to some extent, was a confirmation of his political affiliation.

With regards to those whose illegal appointments were revoked by the Ag. VC, the 'victims' can head to court and seek redress on the grounds of 'wrongful termination of appointment' if they have any common sense.

Reasonable, discerning and rational human beings, who have followed the recent developments at UEW, would have realised that Victor K. Owusu and his cohorts, who erroneously believe that a law suit against a public university constitutes an attack on academic freedom, sees everyone, including myself, who are above board to succumb to such disgraceful idea, as persons to rain senseless insults on. Such insults are more than welcome.

My pleasure!

The President of the Republic of Ghana, the High Court Judge, Winneba, the Minister of Education, the Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education, the Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, the Member of Parliament for Effutu, the Chairman of the UEW governing council, the Ag. VC of UEW, etc., have all been insulted.

I will advise such ignoramuses to take a short trip to Ghana Telecom University College, and talk to the President of the University College who was relieved of his duties earlier this week. His experience will take these 'instruments of ridicule' out of their current delusional state, back to reality.

When the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), are done with their investigations into the 'daylight robbery' at UEW, Victor K. Owusu and his financiers, will run away and leave their sandals behind.

If my previous service in the UK Armed Forces is against the laws of Ghana, what stops the irresponsible and facade Victor K. Owusu from taking me to court?

If the 10% kickbacks taken from some contractors, plus the attempted bribery of a contractor whose documents were falsely procured to win a contract, and the illegal 2% increment of the honorarium on income generated paid to staff "directly involved in the income generation", does not bother on criminality to secure a conviction against the embattled UEW officials, then what else?

(son of a peasant farmer)