The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana, University of Ghana Branch (UTAG-UG), has called for the resignation of the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, accusing them of actions that undermine tertiary education governance and institutional autonomy.
In a statement issued on Monday, January 19, 2026, UTAG-UG said it had taken note of “various actions of the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)…that continue to negatively impact tertiary education institutions in Ghana, contrary to their mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).”
According to the association, while GTEC is mandated to ensure quality standards, equitable access, transparent governance and accountability, the Commission has “veered off these mandates and failed to uphold these statutory expectations.”
UTAG-UG criticised GTEC for what it described as misplaced priorities, saying the Commission has been “reduced to tangential and sometimes frivolous actions, such as chasing people with ‘fake degrees’, while neglecting the fundamental issues affecting tertiary education in Ghana.”
It argued that public tertiary institutions are grappling with inadequate infrastructure, poor remuneration for lecturers and limited budgetary support largely restricted to salaries, yet GTEC “appears indifferent to these systemic problems.”
The association also questioned GTEC’s regulatory authority in specific instances, including the removal of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast.
“Under what legal mandate did GTEC remove the former Vice-Chancellor…? If GTEC claims regulatory authority, which specific provision in Act 1023 empowers such an intervention?” UTAG-UG asked.
On governance, UTAG-UG accused the current GTEC leadership of undermining university councils and management.
It claimed that “Governing Councils of all the public tertiary universities…have effectively been rendered useless and powerless,” while Vice-Chancellors have been reduced to “toothless bulldogs” as decisions legally taken by councils are allegedly reversed by GTEC “without clear legal basis.”
UTAG-UG further raised concerns about staffing challenges, noting that for the past three years, government has refused to grant recruitment clearance, worsening lecturer workloads and affecting the quality of education.
UTAG-UG said despite this, GTEC has failed to advocate strongly for public tertiary institutions.
A major point of contention was a GTEC directive on retirement.
UTAG-UG described as “bizarre” a letter dated October 1, 2025, directing lecturers to retire on the day they attain 60 years rather than at the end of the academic year.
The association questioned how students would complete courses and supervision if lecturers retire mid-semester, asking, “under what legal mandate did GTEC give this directive?”
It also rejected GTEC’s involvement in post-retirement contracts, stressing that such contracts are “conditions of service negotiated and signed by Government and approved by Cabinet,” adding that they are “entitlements, not privileges to be decided at the whims of any individual.”
UTAG-UG further accused the GTEC leadership of an adversarial approach, saying it frequently threatens institutions with regulatory sanctions.
It cited an incident involving alleged fee increments at the University of Ghana, where Prof. Jinapor reportedly wrote to the university and the media “simply acting on a false media report,” an action the association said misled the public.
“These recurring mishaps are not accidental – they represent a pattern of incompetent administration,” UTAG-UG stated, warning that if unchecked, the situation could have dire consequences for Ghana’s tertiary education system.
As part of its demands, UTAG-UG called on Prof. Jinapor Abdulai and Prof. Ocloo to “resign honourably by 31st of January 2026.”
It warned that failure to do so would result in “a petition to the Chief-of-Staff for their removal” and possible industrial action.
The association also called for the immediate enactment of a Legislative Instrument to guide the implementation of Act 1023 “to forestall future abuse of power by leadership of GTEC.”
UTAG-UG urged other UTAG campuses and sister institutions to join what it described as a fight “against tyranny, oppression, and administrative abuse, to restore sanity and hope to our public education institutions.”
