A directive for a nationwide strike declared by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to protest a court ruling which ordered the vice chancellor of the University of Education Winneba to step aside has hit a snag.
Lecturers of the UEW have already withdrawn all their services indefinitely after the Court ruling. The nationwide strike by UTAG is in solidarity with their colleagues at UEW.
UTAG’s National Executive Council at an emergency meeting held at the University of Professional Studies on September 11, 2017, asked its members in all the other public Universities throughout the country to withdraw their teaching services beginning Monday, September 18, 2017, in solidarity with UTAG-UEW.
UTAG is of the view the court directive was “an attack on academic freedom, and thus, affects all public Universities in Ghana.”
But according to Starr News sources at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), lectures are ongoing with lecturers teaching.
They told Starr News’ Central region correspondent Kwaku Baa-Acheamfour that the timing of the issuance of the directive was wrong as the current National Executive Council (NEC) is abusing power and putting incoming NEC of UTAG in a tight corner.
Also, Starr News’ Eric Mawuena Egbeta monitoring the situation at the University of Ghana reported that lectures are ongoing.
But UTAG’s National President Larry Agbanu said the indifference shown to the directive is usual.
“Today is the first day and so we suspected that some few lecturers who probably did not hear the information will go to class,” he told Egbeta.
The Suit
The Winneba High Court on Friday July 14 asked the two principal officers to cease holding themselves as such as per a suit filed by Kofi Kwayera questioning the legality of the university’s Governing Council.
The suit is seeking a dissolution of the University’s Governing Council and, in effect, render the positions of Vice Chancellor and Chief Finance Officer vacant.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Justice William Ato Mills-Graves, granted the plea of the plaintiffs and ordered the two officers to step aside.
But the lecturers say they are confused about their future with the university.
Dr Bekoe said even the Pro-Vice Chancellor cannot perform his duties as the university’s regulations enjoin only the VC to appoint the Pro-Vice Chancellor.
