Opinions of Friday, 23 November 2018

Columnist: Dawda Eric

The removal of Avoke and others was done by the UEW governing council

University of Education, Winneba University of Education, Winneba

I have no personal hatred for Prof.Avoke and others who were lawfully removed by the UEW governing council in accordance with the dictates of the very Act that established UEW( see section 7(2) of Act,672).

My involvement in this matter cannot and should not be misconstrued to suit the mischief of certain people because, my records concerning UEW matters are clear and can be traced from the archives.

On campus some of us had the zeal and the desire to drag same officers to court to have certain issues resolved for the betterment of students.

Unfortunately for us, the needed financial resources wasn't available so we opted to use state institutions to fight the institution and same officers who decided to use ordinary students as "their milking cow"

It was under this same Prof. Mawutor Avoke that, the Economic And Organised Crime Office descended heavily on UEW, Kumasi campus in 2015 for duping students .

The campus account was frozen for four months during the criminal investigation.

As if that wasn't enough, in 2016, The Bureau of National investigators also descended on Kumasi campus in respect of extortion of students and thievery that was spearheaded by Prof. Mawutor Avoke and his cohorts.

The said allegation was published by the chronicle news paper. Shockingly and Surprisingly, Prof. Mawutor Avoke single-handedly issued a rejoinder and published the response in the chronicle news paper.

In his rejoinder, he made claims to the effect that, the decision to charge interest on part payment of fees was a decision of the governing council when our checks revealed that, the learned Prof. decided to lie through his teeth.

As a student activist at that time whose quest was to see significant reforms in UEW I see no reason why I shouldn't have an interest in the ongoing Supi Kwayera's battles with these officers.

So if any one is questioning my interest as an alumnus in this issue, the person should just take his time and consume the above paragraphs. Today, under Rev.Prof. Anthony Afful Broni, the university is undergoing a lot of reformation. His confirmation as the UEW VC was done in accordance with the law same as the removal of Prof. Mawutor Avoke.

It is quite intriguing that, some confused lawyers who failed to use the law court to fight the removal of their client have resorted to ethnocentric bigotry and the likes in their attempt to court public sympathy for their client.

The latest is a letter written by one Harold Tivah Atuguba to the chairman of the governing council instructing him to prepare a place for their miserable client. In their letter, they decided to make their own feeble analysis on the supreme court ruling and the high court judgement that wasn't even executed.

Let me put this on record for the avoidance of doubt that, the officers weren't removed by the high court but rather the UEW governing council. If those who are claiming that, the supreme court ordered for the reinstatement of those officers, they should quote the very portion of the judgement to support their argument.

The claim that, since the high court removed them from office and so for the university council to constitute a committee to try those individuals who were not officers at the time constitutes an error is neither here nor there because, the Winneba high court didn't order for his removal from office so that argument falls flat.

Moreover, the said high court judgment wasn't executed . Again, they were still officers as at the time the council constituted the said committee to put them on trial.

Let it be known that, even when the council extended an invitation to them in line with the rules of natural justice, they failed to raise any objection to their invitation.

Their reason not to appear before the committee as contained in their letter addressed to the chairman of the governing council didn't raise the very issue they are raising today because they knew that, they were officers at that time.

#The letter addressed to the chairman of the council has no legal effect and I know by now it is resting in the dustbin.#