UG’s U-turn surprising, only UNER objected Public Universities Bill - UTAG

The President for the UCC Chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi, has revealed that only the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UNER) totally objected to the passage of the Public Universities Bill, 2020.

Dr. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi, who is also the immediate past National UTAG Secretary explained that apart from UNER, all the other universities including the University of Ghana said the bill in its present form was not good and proceeded to make inputs for the review and subsequent passage of the bill.

This statement comes after the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) commenced an impeachment process against the National President of the association, Prof. Charles Ofosu Marfo.

UTAG-Legon says Prof. Charles Ofosu Marfo is “consistently misrepresenting and sidelining UG-UTAG’s position on the Public University Bill in his public engagements.

The passage of the Public University Bill, 2020 gives the President, the powers to appoint Vice Chancellors and majority members of the University Council.

Reacting to issues surrounding the Bill on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi, Dr. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi argued that for UTAG-Legon to present inputs for consideration into the bill implicitly suggests that they were in favour of the Bill ‘all things being equal’.

“I can tell you on authority that apart from UNER who were totally against the Bill and called for its rejection, all other universities said the bill in its current form were not appropriate and proceeded to make inputs for consideration. If something is not good and you present inputs for consideration, then logically, it means when your inputs are considered in the bill, it will be good for use. That is exactly what the University of Ghana did”, he added.

According to Dr. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi, the University of Ghana says the University of Ghana has erred and that they do not have the mandate to impeach a national executive.

He added that the University of Ghana does not have the guts to impeach a national executive without the backing of not less than three other universities.

Meanwhile, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana and Member of UTAG-Legon, Dr. Lloyd Amoah, says the National President for the Association has consistently failed to champion the position of the UTAG National hence their decision to commence an impeachment process against him.