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Opinions of Wednesday, 10 October 2018

Columnist: Kweku Takyi

The disingenuousness of Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh

Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh

Quite frankly, it feels numbing having to respond to same baseless allegations of ethnic and political persecutions at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) every now and then. it's difficult to fathom why those who constantly play that card can't appreciate that it's not working. Sometimes, it's better to ignore such cacophony of razzmatazz and focus on some productive engagements.

I have advised that if those who are crying victim have any iota of truth in what they allege then, they should test such through due process rather than being sentimental and attacking the persons of the Vice Chancellor (VC), Very Rev Fr Prof Anthony Afful-Broni and Council Chairman, Prof Nicholas Emmanuel Abekah.

The point is that when the air space is opened to the preponderance of lies and inaccuracies spiced up by deliberately orchestrated sentimentalism along the lines of ethnicity and politics, it's sine qua non for the records to be set straight less any unsuspecting member of the public or those who're not familiar with issues are misled. The allegations purported to have been raised by Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh and its circulation thereof on social media are to say the least anachronistic, disingenuous and frivolous.

It must be counted as credit to the Professor in his good counsel to his supporters not to attack anyone and yet on the immediate turn he takes the lead to attack the persons of the VC, Very Rev Fr Prof Anthony Afful-Broni and Council Chairman, Prof Nicholas Emmanuel Abekah.

Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh finds it convenient to describe the charges against him as 'very frivolous and trump up' and subsequently declare himself as innocent of all the charges. That's quite fair, after all the rules of natural justice demand that an accused person remains innocent till proved guilt.

Thank God that he demanded for the charges against him and by his own admission was given. Isn't it rather curious that he conspicuously finds it expedient not to update his well-wishers on the supposed 'very frivolous and trump up' charges? There's a reason! There are not less than 21 charges against him and I assure the public that none of these is politically or ethnically motivated.

In any case he claims he's subjected himself to the process so why doesn't he wait to present his counter evidence to the disciplinary board but has ran to the public to whip up ethnic and political sentiments? Since he admits that he's in the known of the charges against him, he should have been the first to tell the public in his update.

Is update without scratching the substance of the issues too update? One should easily discern the mischief he's up to.
It is very interesting that all those who have found themselves at wrong side of the law come with the alibi of political and ethnic persecution. They have never given members of the interested public the benefit to interrogated the real charges against them nor provided evidence contrary to the official charges communicated to them individually.

Their strategy is carefully schemed to feed into the national perception of a society polarised on ethnic and political lines such that when one least averts his/her mind to being scrupulous they're swept into the poisonous ocean of lies, half-truths and misrepresentation.

It's not true that all those who have fallen short of the law are either Northerners or Ewes. Indeed there are people from other ethnic extractions. Let's see crime to be crime and not of any political or ethnic colours.

Are you aware that some of those who were sacked in their whole lives as academics spanning over a decade had no single paper to their credit? Are you aware of the plethora of opportunities given them to remedy those anomalies? Are you aware that some of these people miraculously rose to the position of heads of departments? Was it a crime therefore, for Senior Lecturers to be appointed in their stead? Come on! Let's interrogate the issues devoid of sentimentalism.

This is a University for God's sake! Aba! Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh should give us a break! Did his appointment as Principal of Ajumako College down-grade him? Was it done by the current Council? Was he victimised by the appointment? Oh, is he trying to impugn that those appointed to help him in the administration of the college are of some particular ethnic group or political party and so are of low quality? What really is it? I can't get it! can it get pettier than this? Who doesn't know that Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh writes under the pen name Victor K. Owusu and the content about the University thereof?
Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh proudly proclaim himself as a freedom fighter and a defender of the truth.

These are virtues highly upheld by the University and I believe of any institution of higher academic pursuit. I do also believe he's fully aware that those reputable institutions survive on some kind of rules as the bastion of protection. Did Prof Avea Nsoh indicate he's been silent on the issue and has respect for the court? Has he so soon forgotten about at least his fiasco presentation with the media and his cohorts in attendance in front of the Business School on Wednesday, July 26. 2017? Has he per chance reflected to find out if his methods for the defence of the so-called truth and his freedom fighting activities were in alignment with the law.

Oh talking about the law, Prof Ephraim Avea Nsoh is categorically clear that the appointment of the VC is in breach of the law and yet he's not able to quote any clause in the University Act(672) or the statute but conveniently quotes Prof Kwesi Yankah, the Minister in Charge of Tertiary Education on the grounds that he's a former Pro-VC. Is he the UEW ACT or Statute? Was he Pro-VC of UEW? Are the Acts or Statutes governing UEW and the institution he played the role of Pro-VC the same? Prof. Avea Nsoh, you're familiar with the UEW Act and statute, quote from them to support your claim just as Council did in appointing the Very Rev Fr Prof Anthony Afful-Broni as substantive VC.

For your information, the reason for the silence of the man whose quote has become your law is that he's been properly briefed on developments on UEW campus. You can go ahead to get the media to interview him on the issue. It should never be lost on Prof Avea Nsoh that pioneering the University with colleagues at trying times will ever pass as a safe haven for that cabal to perpetuate crime and walk scout free.

How on earth can a freedom fighter or defender of the truth simply dismiss allegations of crime on the frivolous grounds that those who are alleging are outsiders? Was he not there or did he not hear the Supreme Court praise the plaintiff for his public spiritedness? Or that one too was ethnically or politically motivated? No one is impeding Prof Avea Nsoh from carrying out his lawfully mandated obligations.

Indeed as late as 26th September, 2018, he was at Convocation meeting and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that he was restrained from being actively involved. Aha, there's the small matter of some 14 senior members being dismissed. I challenge Prof Avea Nsoh to provide proof and tell the public exactly what caused them their jobs so that the public can be given a proper basis to assess the issues and determine the merits for themselves.

It is true the University is recovering from very battered times but no one can hide behind the issues to spew lies, ride on sentiments and commit crime with the intention of walking free. That certainly will be a threat to the stability of the University and I'm certain that discerning members of the public will demand more and interrogate the issues in order to come to judgment. There is more than what meets the eyes.