The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), University of Cape Coast chapter, has given the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) a 48-hour deadline to withdraw disciplinary sanctions imposed on the University.
The standoff follows GTEC’s directive to freeze government support and list UCC as “non-existent” on its official portal, citing the University’s failure to comply with orders relating to Vice Chancellor Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, who has attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 but remains in office.
UTAG-UCC Secretary, Dr. Isaac Boabeng, described GTEC’s actions as “uncalled for, high-handed, and an attack on the dignity and integrity of the University and its staff.” He stressed that the sanctions, if left unchecked, undermine academic freedom and threaten the livelihoods of workers.
“Government subventions and salaries to universities are not a privilege but a right, and no entity under the guise of regulation can freeze such payments. It’s criminal and should be treated with the contempt it deserves,” Dr. Boabeng stated.
He further warned that failure by GTEC to reverse its directives by Thursday or Friday would trigger industrial action across all UCC staff unions.
“By Thursday or Friday, if the management of GTEC does not take steps to reverse the unlawful orders, all the unions will advise ourselves and lay down our tools. The regulator must be mindful that Ghana is run by laws and not the whims and caprices of public servants,” he cautioned.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission insists its decision is rooted in UCC’s non-compliance with directives for Professor Boampong to step aside upon reaching the retirement age.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
