The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, (UTAG), Professor Eric Fokuo has said that maintaining the elected members of the university council is victory to democracy. Adding that the law has finally triumphed over power.
Professor Fokuo said, the election of the members of the union was a democratic right which is done every two years and the mandated members could not be easily removed without a charge against them of not performing their duties.
The UTAG President made these statements in an interview with Ibrahim Kwarteng on Radio Ghana’s Current Affairs Programme ‘BEHIND THE NEWS’.
He explained that the ACT that governs the university is approved by parliament as well as the elected members; therefore the same parliament cannot say they are withdrawing their approval without a just course.
Prof. Fokuo said the status quo has not changed over twenty five years since he has been in the school.
According to him, lectures resumes on Monday, November 19, 2018 and break on December 21, 2018, for the holidays and resume back on January 4, 2018, and return again to start the second semester in February.
The Public Relations Officer of the KNUST branch of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), Ofori Frimpong for his part, expressed their gratitude to God, the government, the chancellor and all the union for disagreeing to agree.
BACKGROUND:
A fresh governing council has been constituted and new members sworn into office by the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The meeting was done in consultation with the Ashanti Regional Security Council.
The constitution of the council took place after a meeting of the schools interim governing council Tuesday, November 13, 2018.
A retired diplomat, Nana Effah Apenteng and a public health specialist Hilda Hagar Ampadu were members from the interim council and maintained on the new council.
Other members who were sworn in include President of the Ghana Institute of Engineers, Stephen Anoff Amoaning, a private legal practitioner, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah and Alhaji Yakub A. B. Abubakar.
In addition to the newly sworn members to make up the new governing council are Charles Arthur ( TEWU President), Kelvin Sah, Eunice Amoako, Isaac Dadzie, Alhaji Ahmed Yakub, Prof Eric Forkuo, Nimo Baffour, Prof Kwasi Obiri-Danso, and Rita Akosua Dickson.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh stated that the reconstitution of the council has come at a sensitive point and requires clear leadership and direction from the council as a matter of urgency to get academic work back on track.
The Chairman of the council, Nana Effah Apenteng is a representative of government. The 15 member council also includes three additional government representatives.
The Chancellor, Otumfuor Osei Tutu 11 in a separate development, has announced the setting up of a five member committee to be headed by a judge to conduct investigations the violence which resulted in the destruction of the school properties.
The previous governing council of KNUST was dissolved as a result of a student-management squabble whereby some students ended up in a serious protest and acts of vandalism of the school’s properties which led to the shutdown of the school.
The total estimated cost of the loss amounted to GHC 1.6 million.
An interim council was constituted by government after the closedown of the university.
Government ordered the Chancellor of KNUST, Otumduor Osei Tutu 11 to reconstitute a new governing body to replace the interim council. However, the reconstitution which was expected November 8, 2018 was not possible due to disagreements amongst the stakeholders, which are the government and the unions.
There were opposition to the maintaining members of the council representing the various unions which are the Senior Staff Association (SSA), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), and the Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU).
The unions resolved to strikes citing that government was not following due procedure in resolving the issue between the management of the university and the students.
The members of the union have finally called off their strikes and decided to resume work officially.
Monitored by Nhyira Kwabi
