Afful-Broni is the only legitimate UEW V-C – Napo

Ghana’s Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has said there is only one legitimate Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) – Rev Father Prof Anthony Afful-Broni.

“I can say without hesitation that there is only one Vice-Chancellor in UEW. If this country wants to go that way, somebody can run from somewhere and come and sit at Jubilee House very soon and say: ‘I’m the president’. There’s only one legal legitimate Vice-Chancellor and it is Rev Afful-Broni. Anybody who doesn’t understand must go through the legal process,” Mr Prempeh said at the Meet The Press series in Accra on Wednesday, 24 July 2019.

“We are not going to accept such things. I’m rather surprised the police have not charged the trespassers because even if you are [V-C], somebody must ensure that you’re there. You can’t run to a school and go and sit in a chair and say you’re a V-C, it is not easy like that. There’s a process that you have to go through. You can challenge the process, you can go to court and even if you win, it has to be executed and it’s all through legal means, we’re not in a lawless state,” Dr Prempeh said.

Mr Prempeh’s comments come on the back of attempts by Prof Mawutor Avoke, the ousted V-C, to reclaim his position.

It is recalled that Prof Avoke and five other officers of the university were temporarily injuncted for alleged breaches of office and malfeasance of a financial nature. After investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Prof Avoke and the others were proven innocent and discharged of the said charges for which they were dismissed.

On Tuesday, 23 July 2019, Prof Avoke and the dismissed staff stormed the university to take over the school from the current V-C.

The police were called in to forestall any clashes as tensions rose on campus.

Meanwhile, UTAG-UEW is divided over the matter. One group is in support of Prof Avoke’s comeback while the other has described his actions as “scandalous”.