Sunyani Poly registrar probed

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) has instituted a three-member committee to investigate allegations leveled against the Registrar of the Sunyani Polytechnic, Samuel Obour by the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) of the Polytechnic.

The committee, chaired by Dr George Afeti, Executive Secretary, National Inspectorate Board of the Ministry of Education, has 10 days to submit its report to the Executive Secretary of the NCTE, Prof Mahama Duwiejua.

Other members of the committee are Prof Mohammed Salifu, Dean, Faculty of Civil Engineering at the KNUST and Edmund Aalondong, an official of the National Council for Tertiary Education.

The local POTAG passed a resolution calling for his immediate removal from office and also leveled a number of allegations against him.

A letter sighted by DAILY GUIDE dated July 5, 2013 and signed by Prof Mahama Duwiejua, NCTE Executive Secretary, also directed the Sunyani Polytechnic Registrar to urgently respond to the issues raised by POTAG for the necessary action to be taken.

The terms of reference for the committee are: to investigate the allegations against the Registrar of the Polytechnic as contained in POTAG’s resolution, make appropriate recommendations for resolution of the matter, consider any other issue (s) incidental to the assignment and to submit report to the Executive Secretary, NCTE within 10 days of commencement of assignment.

The Sunyani Polytechnic Chapter of POTAG called on the Polytechnic Council to remove Mr. Obour from office over numerous allegations.

POTAG, which persistently declined the intervention of the Polytechnic Council to resolve the impasse through mediation committee, called for forensic investigation into the matter.

“The situation threatens industrial peace and smooth administration of the Polytechnic,” Prof Mahama Duwiejua indicated.

It would be recalled that during the heat of the impasse, the Registrar dragged the POTAG executives to court while the matter was pending before a mediation committee set up by the Polytechnic Council.

POTAG however refused to cooperate with the committee whose report exonerated the Polytechnic Registrar.