Open letter to Professor Obeng Mireku, Chairman, Governing Council, University of Education, Winneba (UEW)

The import of this open letter is to give you (Prof. Obeng Mireku) my strategic plans with its implementation pathways to help you disperse the dark clouds that have gathered over the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), since Professor Mawutor Avoke was unfairly ousted out of office.

How can a Vice- Chancellor under investigation by EOCO be dismissed clandestinely without recourse to the final report by EOCO and replaced by a Pro Vice-Chancellor who was supposed to be part of the officers who should have been investigated alongside Prof. Avoke and co?

As a concerned citizen of Ghana, I am of the view that the Special Status and Mandate of UEW (i.e. the university is charged with the responsibility of producing professional educators to spearhead a new national vision of education aimed at redirecting Ghana’s efforts along the path of rapid economic and social development) is relevant for this country and its stakeholders of Ghana’s development and everything sensible need to be done timeously for its realization.

Succinctly, I have decided to state these issues and solutions for your prompt consideration and actions.

Due to the dark clouds hanging over UEW (i.e. Poor promotions, bad press, innumerable court cases , wrong dismissals, transfers, suspensions, demotions to mention but a few) this new governing council, under your chairmanship, should contract the services of KPMG, PWc, or Ernst and Young to carry out a total forensic audit of UEW mess.

The resultant audit report with recommendations will furnish the council with the details of all the issues or allegations that have contributed to UEW’s bad image. This will offer you, Prof. Obeng Mireku the singular duty to demonstrate remarkable leadership in rebranding UEW.

My foremost advice is for you to immediately cause all the top Principal Officers of UEWtR to step aside for an unimpeded audit to be done by the selected auditors.

Legal appointment of external auditors (e.g. KPMG) to assist the governing council to have a full understanding of prevailing UEW issues and help make critical strategic decisions for the UEW and its future.

The following areas should be covered by the external auditors during the forensic audit:

Financial position (i.e. Winneba Commercial Bank transactions)

Procurement / tender issues

Infrastructure

Promotion

Appointment

Employment

Leave – Foreign or local

Staff accommodation issues – system to determine who should occupy university accommodation and be complied with.

Sale of UEW vehicles, equipment and other facilities.

University Lands and documentation issues

Formation of a 5-member committee to review all dismissals and suggest recommendations for the affected staff of UEW.

Association funds to be reconciled with all association leaders and released to the various accounts of these associations i.e. SRC, UTAG, GRASSAG, Alumni, GAUA to mention but a few.

Search and appoint a New Chancellor for UEW within 6 months Clean the UEW convocation list and set a mechanism in place for the election and appointment of a substantive Pro Vice-Chancellor to compliment the work of the Vice-Chancellor.

The Governing Council should establish a Development Trust Fund for the development of all the communities where the UEW campuses are located.

A committee need to be formed to work on establishing two new Faculties at Gyaahadze, a rural town in Winneba. This if done will offer the university to increase its intake of the Free SHS products who may seek admission at the tertiary level in UEW.

The faculties will be Law Health sciences and Nursing

In concluding this open letter, I want to inform you Professor Obeng Mireku, that your experience in academia should justify the president’s choice of you as a decent chairman, who will be immune from “under-the-table inducements” by the management as was alleged against former chairman of council, Prof. Abakah.

Information making rounds have it that on Thursday, 19th September, 2019, UEW Governing Council will have an emergency meeting in Winneba.

Sadly, an agenda to “influence” you has been put in place for you to commission a 5- storey block of flats at the North campus, SSNIT Road, Winneba.

You have been slated as a Special Guest of Honour. Please, ponder a little and ask yourself, of what benefit will your presence at such a simple commissioning be to your image?

I believe over 90% of staff and students of UEW will be disappointed in you if you attend the commissioning. I believe that this will cause your approval rating to be perpetually battered, if you do not become circumspect in this regard.

I wish you the best of British!

Sincerely yours,

Stephen Nani