UEW Rumpus:Governing Council Stand By Decision To Fire Lecturers

By Raymond Quarchie

The Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba(UEW) has fortified the dismissal of three lecturers who were part of thirty staff who were penalized for various misconducts against the rules of the university.

It disclosed this at a press conference organised to formally respond to several assertions and media publications propagated against the institution after the violent protest by students on the various campuses last week.

Addressing the media, John Darko, a member of the governing council of the university said that the dismissal, suspension, termination and demotion of some staff of the university was legitimate, according to investigations and findings of the council.

He said the affected persons who wish to petition the council over their dismissal are free to do so but that the council will refer their issues to the appropriate committees for attention.

“Based on appeals by well-meaning Ghanaians and other respected personalities, the Governing Council will consider any petition that it may receive from affected staff. However, council wishes to add that such review will be on case by case basis”, he hinted.

Mr. John Darko hinted that any staff who has been dismissed, suspended, demoted or had their appointments terminated was taken through the due process of the law as established under Statute 36 and in accordance with Schedule G of the university` rules.

The council dismissed claims by University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG National) President, Dr. Eric Opoku Mensah in response to the dismissals, that it was carried out based on some phony charges and that the university failed to take the affected persons through due process.

He, however, said, “these assertions are full of inaccuracies, outright lies and fabrications meant to disparage the governing council and create chaos and cause indiscipline on our campuses- a goal that UTAG has clearly worked hard to achieve in the last few days”.

John Darko mentioned that facilities; including ATM, glass windows, and vehicles among others were destroyed by the students during the protest adding that these had to be fixed before the students could be asked to report back to campus.

“The total cost of damage is estimated at about GH¢250,000. We need to understand that broken down critical facilities such as vehicles, ATMs, glass windows and others affected by the violence may have to be repaired before the students could be asked to report back to campus”, he said.

Dismissing reports that the Vice Chancellor sacked the three lecturers, the Chairman of the governing council, Prof. Nicholas Abakah, explained that the dismissal was a decision of the council of which the Vice Chancellor is only a member.

The Central Regional Security Council, last Thursday shut down the school indefinitely after a three day protest by students which ended in the destruction of several school and staff properties.

The students embarked the protest in demand of the reinstatement of some lecturers who have been sacked by the governing council of the university.

The dismissed lecturers included, local University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) president, Dr. Frimpong Kakyire Duku and the Principal of the Colleges of Languages at UEW, Prof. Ephraim Avea Nsoh. A senior lecturer popular with the students, Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, also had his appointment terminated.