UTAG KNUST backs call for removal of GTEC Director General and Deputy
The University Teachers Association of Ghana at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has thrown its full weight behind calls for the removal of the Director General and Deputy Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, citing what it describes as persistent incompetence and failure to uphold the commission’s core mandate.
In a statement signed by the President of UTAG KNUST, Professor Eric K K Abavare, and the Secretary, Professor Akwasi Afirifa Acheampong on January 27, 2026, UTAG KNUST said the decision was taken at an executive emergency meeting held on Monday, January 26, where the branch resolved to align itself with an earlier press release by the national leadership of UTAG at the University of Ghana, which called for the immediate removal of the two top officials of the commission.
According to UTAG KNUST, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has, under the current leadership, deviated from its mandate and become an instrument of personal vindictiveness rather than a body focused on improving standards in tertiary education. The association argued that instead of strengthening regulatory norms, the Director General and his deputy have presided over a steady decline in the commission’s effectiveness.
The statement said the commission has failed to ensure that quality tertiary education is delivered to Ghanaian students, pointing to serious deficiencies in staffing and infrastructure across public university campuses. UTAG KNUST noted that a cursory inspection of laboratories and lecture theatres in several institutions reveals facilities in urgent need of renovation, retooling and expansion.
It further accused the commission of allowing critical standards, including the student lecturer ratio established by the commission itself, to deteriorate without any clear plan for improvement. The association also raised concerns about the handling of post retirement contracts and office holding extensions, which it said has created confusion and unease across university campuses due to the commission’s failure to clearly distinguish between the two categories of appointments.
UTAG KNUST noted that lecturers who retire in the middle of the academic year are often placed in a difficult position, as replacements are not recruited in time, yet the commission has failed to provide clarity on their employment status regarding post retirement extensions. As a result, affected senior members are said to be left in limbo.
The association also highlighted challenges faced by finance directors at various universities, who it said have not received clear guidance from the commission on whether retired lecturers should be removed from payroll systems. This uncertainty, UTAG KNUST said, has compounded administrative difficulties on campuses.
Describing the situation as untenable, the association said continued inaction by the commission’s leadership has left university managements helpless. UTAG KNUST therefore called on the Chief of Staff at the Presidency to prevail on President John Dramani Mahama to remove the Director General and his deputy on grounds of incompetence in the interest of industrial harmony.