UEW impasse: Leave Afful-Broni alone – Governing Council to UTAG

The Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba, has thrown it’s support behind the beleaguered Vice Chancellor of the Rev. Father Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni describing attacks at him as unwarranted.

The Vice Chancellor, according to the University Governing Council, was only performing duties he was directed by the council and so cannot be blamed for decisions taking by the council.

Addressing the media at Winneba, after the Governing Council’s meeting following the unrest at the University, Council Member Mr. John Darko reading the speech on behalf of the Governing Council noted that the Governing Council indeed followed due process in terminating the appointment of the lecturers and the non-teaching staff and cannot be blamed for witch-hunting the affected lecturers.

He indicated that the acts engaged by the dismissed lecturers centred on insubordination, academic dishonesty and failure to attend to duty.

He stressed that some of the lecturers even charged students Ghc 2,000 to complete their thesis for them which is against the rules of the teaching profession.

He emphasised that others also presented plagiarized works to be assessed for promotion.

"He was carrying out the decisions of the council. The affected lecturers were taking through the disciplinary procedure of the school before sanctions were applied…We will tell UTAG to leave the Vice Chancellor alone to do his job,” he said.

The governing council also slammed the University Teachers Association for misinforming the public on the raging issues at the University.

The Governing Council explained that UTAG cannot impede disciplinary procedures at the University to force the hands of the council to rescind its decision on the dismissed and suspended lecturers .

On the issue of the reopening of the university, the Council indicated that the University can only do so after repairing the Gh250,000 damage to property that the demonstrators caused before the students could return as the campus must be made conducive to support teaching and learning.

The Council, Mr. John Bamako added, is in touch with the Regional Security Council in reviewing the security at the school so that the Ajumako and the Winneba campus of the school could be reopened for teaching and learning to take place.