Suspend USAG General Sec. and Coordinating Sec. for breach of office and misconduct - Petitioners

A petition has been filed for the suspension of the General Secretary, Antoinette Wellington, and Enoch Gbogbo, Coordinating Secretary of the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) for breach of office and misconduct.

The nine petitioners who are national executives of USAG, say that on September 10, 2024, the General Secretary, released an official letter (references of the letter - USAG/NEO/24/0014) without the necessary consultation of the President, which is a clear breach of her role and duties as defined in Chapter Four, article 22(3) of the USAG Constitution.

According to the petitioners, the USAG constitution explicitly requires the General Secretary to consult with the President on all correspondence, and failure to do so undermines the trust placed in the executive office.

They further say that by acting independently, Mrs. Willington violated her executive oath of office, disregarding the mandate to consult the President and undermining the authority of the Executive Council. This constitutes a violation of the executive oath of office and should be seen as a direct challenge to the chain of command within USAG.

Petitioners also aver that on 30th September 2024, at approximately 7:00 pm, 1st and 2nd Defendant jointly removed the role of Admin of the National Executive Committee (NEC) WhatsApp page from the National President and restricted messaging to themselves alone.

They say that this action was an outright abuse of authority and a blatant disregard for the respect and unity that should define our association.

"This page includes all SRC Presidents under the association, and the action taken by both officers was a direct attempt to control communications and isolate the President from the rest of the committee. That action constitutes a severe abuse of authority, a disrespectful act toward the leadership of the association, and a violation of the association's protocols of transparency and cooperation," the petition read in part.

Petitioners say that the action taken by the 1st and 2nd Defendant further denied the President of his duty as stated in article 21(1)(2)(4) which is the sole mandate of the USAG President.

Petitioners further aver that the NEC page is a vital platform for the coordination of activities among the SRC Presidents, and such an action disrupts the smooth functioning of the association and demonstrates disrespect toward the President and other members.

They are therefore asking the Judicial Committee of USAG for a formal investigation into an abuse of authority and violation of communication protocols by the two accused executives which is a direct threat to the stability and leadership of the association.

The petitioners further ask for the Judicial Committee to "Evoke the powers of the Judicial Board as stated in the USAG constitution article 3(1)(a), (1)(b), ( 2), (3), (4) to intervene in this matter as soon as possible.

"Any additional sanctions that the Judicial Committee deems appropriate in accordance with the constitution to preserve the dignity, integrity, and smooth operation of the association.

Below is the full petition:

PETITION FOR THE SUSPENSION USAG GENERAL SECRETARY AND

COORDINATING SECRETARY FOR BREACH OF OFFICE AND MISCONDUCT.

The 1ST through 9TH Petitioners are National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the University Students’ Association of Ghana (USAG).

Petitioners bring this petition to the Judicial Board of USAG for the suspension of Antoinette Wellington, the General Secretary, and Enoch Gbogbo, the Coordinating Secretary based on their clear and unequivocal breach of office as their misconduct and breach of office as outlined in the USAG Constitution and disrepute to the association.

Petitioners bring this matter to the Judicial Committee not only to preserve the integrity of our association but to ensure that future officers of USAG adhere to the principles of accountability, transparency, and respect for established protocols.

Petitioners respectfully invoke the Code of Conduct (article 46), the Grounds for Suspension (article 51), and the General Jurisdiction (article 37) of the USAG Constitution in this matter.

Petitioners say that on the 10th September 2024, the General Secretary, released an official letter (references of the letter - USAG/NEO/24/0014) without the necessary consultation of the President, which is a clear breach of her role and duties as defined in Chapter Four, article 22(3) of the USAG Constitution.

Petitioners say that the USAG constitution explicitly requires the General Secretary to consult with the President on all correspondence, and failure to do so undermines the trust placed in the executive office.

Petitioners say that by acting independently, Mrs. Willington violated her executive oath of office, disregarding the mandate to consult the President and undermining the authority of the Executive Council. This constitutes a violation of the executive oath of office and should be seen as a direct challenge to the chain of command within USAG.

Petitioners say that on 30th September 2024, at approximately 7:00 pm, 1 st and 2nd Defendant jointly removed the role of Admin of the National Executive Committee (NEC) WhatsApp page from the National President and restricted messaging to themselves alone.

Petitioners say that this action was an outright abuse of authority and a blatant disregard for the respect and unity that should define our association. This page includes all SRC Presidents under the association, and the action taken by both officers was a direct attempt to control communications and isolate the President from the rest of the committee. That action constitutes a severe abuse of authority, a disrespectful act toward the leadership of the association, and a violation of the association's protocols of transparency and cooperation.

Petitioners say that the action taken by the 1st and 2nd Defendant further denied the President of his duty as stated in article 21(1)(2)(4) which is the sole mandate of the USAG President.

Petitioners say that the NEC page is a vital platform for the coordination of activities among the SRC Presidents, and such an action disrupts the smooth functioning of the association and demonstrates disrespect toward the President and other members.

Petitioners say that as stated in article 51(1) (a) of the USAG Constitution, any executive officer who willfully violates their oath of office is subject to removal or suspension. By issuing official communication without consultation and removing the role of Admin from the President from the NEC platform, 1 st and 2 nd Defendants broke their oath to faithfully serve and preserve the unity and dignity of the association.

Petitioners say that 1 st and 2 nd Defendant, by willfully violating their executive oath of office, has demonstrated a disregard for the constitution, which constitutes grounds for removal from office.

Petitioners say that the conduct of both the General Secretary and the Coordinating Secretary, as outlined in article 51(1) (b) of the constitution, brings the association into disrepute and contempt.

Their actions are likely to cause further division within USAG, tarnish its reputation, and impede the work of the executive council, especially when other members are unable to engage in discussions on the NEC platform.

Petitioners say that both 1st and 2 ]nd Defendant conducted themselves in a manner that brings the association into disrepute. Their unilateral action to remove the President as an “admin” from the NEC page and lock out other members is a clear violation of the principles of transparency, respect, and accountability expected from national officers.

Petitioners say that the two national officers will not do what is right unless a proper punishment is meted out to them.

The Petitioners, therefore pray this Judicial Committee for the following reliefs:

a. Immediate suspension of Mrs. Willington (General Secretary) and the Coordinating Secretary from office for wilfully violating the executive oath of office and engaging in conduct that brings disrepute to the association.

b. A formal investigation into their abuse of authority and violation of communication protocols, which is a direct threat to the stability and leadership of the association.

c. Evoke the powers of the Judicial Board as stated in the USAG constitution article 3(1)(a),

(1)(b), ( 2), (3), (4) to intervene in this matter as soon as possible.

d. Any additional sanctions that the Judicial Committee deems appropriate in accordance with the constitution to preserve the dignity, integrity, and smooth operation of the association.

Counsel for Petitioners

ABUDU MAHAMA

KAAF University College

Kasoa

KA

Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below: