UCC UTAG members denounce executive's statement, demand accountability

A group of concerned members from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has expressed dissatisfaction with a recent press release issued by their UTAG UCC Executive.

The group claims the statement does not represent the wider membership and accuses the leadership of acting without proper consultation.

In a statement, the concerned members disassociated themselves from the executive's position, noting, “We wish to express our utmost disappointment with the statement and dissociate ourselves from the same.”

The group criticised the UTAG UCC leadership for escalating tensions on campus with what it described as "misleading statements" and a possible "hidden agenda."

The group took issue with a press statement released on Monday, 16 September 2024, asserting that the decision to publish it was made by a small faction of the UTAG UCC Executive without consulting the association's approximately 800 members.

“It was rather a unilateral decision taken by a few individuals who constitute the UTAG UCC Executive,” it stated.

According to the group, no meeting was held to seek the broader membership’s input before the statement was made public.

This is not the first time the group has felt sidelined. It pointed to an earlier statement from August 1, 2024, in which the UTAG UCC leadership called for the removal of the UCC Council Chairman.

The concerned members claim this too was done without the consent of the majority of UTAG members.

“We consistently find the posture of the UTAG UCC leadership undemocratic, dishonest, and grossly disrespectful of its own membership,” they declared.

In addition, the group raised concerns over the UTAG UCC Executive’s support for extending the tenure of the university’s Vice-Chancellor.

It accused the leadership of ignoring court rulings and regulatory guidelines, citing a Cape Coast High Court injunction preventing the Vice-Chancellor from continuing in office.

“Even in the face of an injunction order from the Cape Coast High Court restraining the Vice-Chancellor from holding office, the UTAG UCC Executive sees nothing wrong with supporting a decision to allow the Vice-Chancellor to stay in office,” the group claimed.

Calling for accountability and transparency, the group urged stakeholders and the university community to disregard the UTAG UCC Executive’s press release and respect the court’s decisions.

“We lend our support to the current court proceedings and wish to encourage all and sundry to do the same and respect its outcomes,” the statement added.