The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has bemoaned the near death of academic freedom in the public universities of Ghana.
According to GAUA, activities of some government appointees to the university councils, and politicians in the jurisdiction of some public universities are undermining the Acts, Statutes, and Policies governing the establishment of the nation’s public universities.
In a statement dated Monday, December 11, 2023, and signed by the association’s National President, Dr. Mrs. Beth Offei-Awuku, GAUA said “Some recent directives of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission seeking to adversely vary established conditions of service for Non-Teaching Senior Members makes it clear that university administration is under siege.
“These gravely worrying behaviors of the Regulator in dishonoring statutory provisions of legally binding documents are most distasteful and an affront to the academic freedom of these autonomous public institutions. This trend is very wrong and needs emergent redress if the rule of law is anything to continue to live for,” the statement added.
Also, the Association urged GTEC to halt the implementation of its directives of Office Holding Allowances in the public universities forthwith, as the process is awash with discrimination, arbitrariness, and unfair labour practices.
The Ghana Association of University Administrators called on the government and all other relevant stakeholders to uphold the sanctity of academic freedom by enforcing the compliance with legal documents of the nation’s public universities.
“Notice is hereby served that if the GTEC directive is not stopped by 1st January 2024, GAUA and its members will be compelled to lay down their tools,” the University administrators cautioned.
Read the full statement below
GAUA/NS/UEW/110 11th December, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE GHANA ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS
At its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of 8th December 2023, the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) noted with unwelcome concern the near death of academic freedom in the public universities of Ghana.
The meeting, representing all Non-Teaching Senior Members in the public universities in Ghana, hammered on the recent apparent political interference with universities’ governance as well as management issues of most public universities; the overregulation and virtual micro-management of the public universities by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC); and GTEC’s blatant disregard for legal documents like the universities’ Acts of Parliament, the Statutes, and Policies governing the Ghanaian universities.
Some government appointees to the university councils, and politicians in the jurisdiction of some public universities have been noted to exert excessive political influence on the administrative structures of the public universities without recourse to the Acts, Statutes, and Policies governing the establishment of the nation’s public universities.
Some recent directives of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission seeking to adversely vary established conditions of service for Non-Teaching Senior Members makes it clear that university administration is under siege.
These gravely worrying behaviors of the Regulator in dishonoring statutory provisions of legally binding documents is most distasteful and an affront to the academic freedom of these autonomous public institutions. This trend is very wrong and needs emergent redress if the rule of law is anything to continue to live for.
GAUA calls on government and the relevant stakeholders to uphold the sanctity of academic freedom by enforcing the compliance with legal documents of the nation’s public universities.
GAUA again calls on the GTEC to halt the implementation of its directives of Office Holding Allowances in the public universities forthwith, as the process is awash with discrimination, arbitrariness, and unfair labour practices.
The implementation of this obnoxious GTEC directive on Officeholders have resulted in a number of GAUA Members losing their allowances while the complaints at the National Labour Commission (NLC) is still pending. The GTEC directive on Officeholders should stop immediately until a proper implementation framework is agreed on by all stakeholders.
Notice is hereby served that if the GTEC directive is not stopped by 1st January 2024, GAUA and its members will be compelled to lay down their tools.
SIGNED
Dr. Mrs. Beth Offei-Awuku
National President
