'Small boy' Napo can't order me around – Wa Poly Rector

Minister of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, is creating problems for the Akufo-Addo-led government, Professor Emmanuel Marfo-Owusu, Rector of Wa Polytechnic has said.

According to him, Dr Opoku Prempeh takes arbitrary decisions without considering laid-down procedures.

The rector noted that although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is implementing good policies such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, the conduct of some of his ministers, including the education minister, is hurting the New Patriotic Party.

He, therefore, urged Dr Opoku Prempeh to reconsider his ways of taking decisions as far as polytechnic education is concerned.

Prof Marfo-Owusu’s comments come on the heels of attacks on him by some lecturers at the Wa Polytechnic on Monday, 9 April.

Some angry lecturers of the school, on Monday afternoon chased the rector out of campus.

This follows an allegation that he procured a vehicle for himself at the cost of over GHS500,000 without the approval of the Governing Council.

Speaking on this matter on Ghana Yensom son Accra100.5FM hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Tuesday, April 10, Prof Marfo-Owusu said: “Dr Opoku Prempeh is one of the reasons this is happening, he takes arbitrary decisions and insists that people should comply. He cannot take such decisions and instruct people like me to comply, I am older than him, he is not above me in terms of our academic qualifications. I respect the office of the Minister but the Minister must also respect us.”

“As we speak, he has dismissed the rector of Cape Coast Polytechnic without recourse to laid-down procedure.

“His conduct is hurting the NPP. Although the president has implemented the free SHS, they will need to be careful with the attitude of the minister.”