PENSIONERS PROFESSORS BLOCK CHANCES OF YOUNG ACADEMICS IN GHANA

We have made it clear that in Germany, in the field of academics, due to enormous resources in the country and also the significance of professors to this industrious nation, these distinguished men are life time employed. But in continental Europe and elsewhere, professors live on their pension and also apply for funds to conduct researches and write books in order to supplement rather than compete on jobs with young academics in their FORMER universities.

These gentlemen who may be genius are active researchers, government advisors, board members of cooperation, etc and enjoy the hospitality of their former schools or live their private lives and their work schedules do not cost some new and serious academicians their jobs in the universities.

As an active politician who has a number of political experiences behind me, I maintain that the practice where young academics are usurped from their positions or jobs in the universities is wrong and leads to postgraduate academics unemployment in the country. I therefore humbly advise the government and the authorities involved that all contracts with old pensioners' academics have to be revoked and clever young academicians should take over temporary, while investigations into these silly practice should be embarked.

A special board should be established to conduct careful investigations and see how we can abolish it and create jobs for young academicians in the country. The practice in Europe and elsewhere must be followed to ensure that these incoming leaders are not frustrated by these old professors whose important work also need to provide solutions not trouble in the job market. We do not need to waste time and opportunity these young academicians have; we must put their talents to good use. Some of these academicians need minor training and promotion to help them fulfil these responsible positions in the universities.

In some faculties such as law, the university Mafia has taken over, and the report I received is that there is increasingly deliberate overrepresentation of minority students just purposely to cause trouble in future Ghana. Law is a useful subject for any nation. It helps in nation building and so such allegations should not betaken at face value, they should be investigated by journalists so that we can have a clear picture of what is going on about the activities of these Mafia or tribalistic ruffians in government.

We believe that it is time that some of us who intend to be in the next government prepare to introduce a bill that will take care of this silly practice, which has dire consequences that are detrimental to the country's progress. If action is not taken now, in the next republic, we shall help support such a bill which adds waste to the economy of the university system.

Professor Desmond Ayim-Aboagye is a member of the NPP Party in Ghana. He is a former Associate Professor in the Science of Religion at the Åbo Akademi University in Finland and Uppsala University in Sweden, and currently a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra. Professor Ayim-Aboagye has now moved down permanently to settle and also work as a politician.