Battle of the DONS @ KNUST

…Professor Buatsi battles authorities over his contract
… but is accused of employing only ewes
…Professor Bour mentioned as the grand schemer

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is in the news again, and this time it is about a raging storm between two Academic dons- Professor Seth Buatsi, Dean of the university’s business school and Professor Daniel Bour, described as Provost of the School.

It all has to do with the decision of the University to advertise the position of Dean of the Business School, when Professor Buatsi, the pioneer Dean of the School still have almost four years on his six-year contract.

Newspaper adverts have been running for sometime now inviting interested applicants to apply for the position, but Professor Buatsi told the dailyEXPRESS that he cannot understand what is going on because he has an official contract with the university to serve as dean for six years.

Professor Buatsi, who says he went to the university primarily to establish the Business School in 2005, says this is not the first time an attempt has been clandestinely to push him out.

“I was out of town and it was upon my return that I got to know that my contract has been terminated without any notice,” he told the dailyEXPRESS.

According to him, in an attempt to cover up for the blunder, the university authorities organized an election to have a new dean elected to take over from him.

He explained that he petitioned against the election which took place in his absence, expressing disgust about the decision to organize elections to get his replacement. The election results, he told dailyEXPRESS, were annulled following his petition.

dailyEXPRESS’ ongoing enquiries into the issue has not elicited any response from the university yet, but information picked up suggests that persons close to Professor Buatsi suspect one Professor Daniel Bour of scheming and plotting to have Professor Buatsi removed.

Professor Bour according to information available to us has denied the accusation, although Professor Buatsi has confirmed that the two of them have some unresolved differences and are actually not on speaking terms.

Why Professor Bour will want his colleague removed is not clear and why Professor Buatsi and his supporters will suspect Professor Bour also not clear, but what is immediately known is that Professor Buatsi will want to keep his job.

dailyEXPRESS gathers that while it is true that Professor Buatsi has had occasion to complain on a number of occasions to the Office of the Vice Chancellor about Professor Bour, he (Buatsi) has also been found to be fond of employing (or packing the business school with) Ewe persons.

Confronted with the allegation, Professor Buatsi said all those employed under him including Ewes went through the due process.

“The very first Ewe person who came to the school did so after attending and passing an interview. He even misconducted himself and I personally called for him to be dismissed,” he defended himself.

According to Professor Buatsi, the other Ewe person employed by the school was the highly regarded business & management expert, Professor John Aheto who was appointed chair for banking and finance.

The Dean of the KNUST of Business School says Professor Aheto’s appointment was even channeled through the office of the VC and debunked any assertion only persons from his tribe take up positions at the school.

Professor Buatsi tells dailyEXPRESS that he is more than convinced that the on-going events have been targeted at him, but why he won’t or can’t say.