Supreme Court Annuls UEW’s Election Of New Pro-Vice-Chancellor

The controversial election of a new pro-vice-chancellor by the University of Education, Winneba has been annulled.

Professor Andy Ofori-Binkorang, who was the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Communications had been elected as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Institution.

The annulment of the election is as a result of the Supreme Court quashing the decision of the Winneba High Court dismissing a suit challenging the power of the Vice-Chancellor of the University in nominating three candidates for election to occupy the vacant positions.

A lecturer of the University, Dr. Kaakyire Duku Frimpong, filed an injunction and an application for review at the Winneba High Court in June 2019, a day before the election, to stop it from taking place.

The suit was however dismissed on procedural grounds, making it possible for the election to take place.

But Dr. Duku Frimpong dissatisfied with the decision headed to the Supreme Court, where the apex court judges directed that the original case be heard in full by the High Court.

Dr. Duku Frimpong’s concerns 

Dr. Duku Frimpong had alleged in his suit that participation in the process for the election of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor was being limited to a chosen few to the disadvantage of other equally qualified persons.

He had told Citi News that the supposed unlawful convention must be immediately discontinued to allow for the right procedure to be used in the selection process.

“When you practice a convention for a period, it doesn’t make it a law. What used to be where senior-most professors were nominated, things have now changed. We need to revisit our statutes and use what the statutes say. The nomination should be avoided. Whoever is interested and qualified per the statutes should avail himself or herself to be elected,” he said.