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15.07.2017 Press Statement

UEW-UTAG Not On Strike, We Welcome All Sandwich Students Back On Campus

....Of Dishonesty, Bad Leadership And Self Interest: The Case Of UTAG-UEW Leadership
By Godfred Asare
UEW-UTAG Not On Strike, We Welcome All Sandwich Students Back On Campus
15.07.2017 LISTEN

Majority of UEW lecturers have been quietly following and monitoring the goings on of the court matters involving our great UEW. It is important to first note that this quiet and cool attitude of the majority of lecturers should not be interpreted to mean lack of concern.

It is rather a trait of people who are mature and deep in thoughts. Let no one make the mistake of considering this trait to mean docility or weakness.

Upon all the priding of ourselves with intellectualism, it had to take Mr Supi Kwayera (whom we shamelessly claim is an akpeteshie seller) to open our eyes to Procurement breaches and illegalities in our own University! Are we not ashamed of ourselves? Or have we been blinded by intellectualism?

When, way back in 2013, the Hon Alex Afenyo Markin started drawing government and our attention to the ramifications of an improperly constituted governing council, where were we? Shame on us!!

Since May 23rd, 2017, when the writ was issued and our University started going to court, no UTAG general meeting has been held; yet, it was said at one point that UTAG wanted to join the case. Those 2 or 3 executives went ahead and hired an attorney. When our case was subsequently thrown out and UTAG was fined GHC 3,000 as well (which we presume will come from our dues) no UTAG meeting was held to even brief us on anything. Then, when today, 14th July, 2017, the Winneba High Court among other things, ordered the VC and FO to step aside, we hear on radio that UTAG-UEW has declared an indefinite strike, again, without any consultation with the general UTAG population. What kind of leaders do we have on UTAG-UEW, and what do they take us for? You (UTAG Executives) cannot arrogate to yourselves powers that you do not have. We elected you into office and gave you the mandate to conduct yourselves properly! You cannot sit in your bedrooms and decide for us! Why do you disrespect us like that? We want to assure you that you will cough out every pesewa that you have wasted on this useless and unwarranted legal fight, because we never gave you permission to go to court. It is clear that you knew we would not agree going to court, so you refused to hold a general meeting. It is also clear that you, the so called executives, are seeking Your Own personal interests; but we want to assure you that, you will not use us to advance your selfish agenda. Be assured that your days of this wanton arrogation of non existent power are over, so prepare to meet the full fury of the general membership.

We wish, on this note, to assure the general public and the whole world that, UTAG-UEW IS NOT ON STRIKE. Members on all our campuses (Ajumako, Mampong, Kumasi, Winneba) are not in favour of this illegal strike, and anyone can visit our campuses on Monday and you will see lecturers working.

We wish, furthermore, to inform all our Sandwich Students to disregard this hoax strike and come to school. The purported strike is for the selfish UTAG-UEW executives, who have failed already in the discharge of their duties as leaders and we will not make them our leaders again. They have neglected their core duties to fight for members' welfare and they are now fighting for their own selfish interests. If you do not believe us, come and see the kind of living and office accommodations we occupy; with porous security, coupled with the injustices meted out to us, then you will know the kind of UTAG executives we have!

When the Registrar of the University, Dr C. Y. Acquah-Mensah told us not too long ago that as lecturers we did not need offices, and that we could sit under trees or in our cars and work; to the extent that an office complex built for lecturers was taken away from us and converted to Office of the Registrar, what did our leaders do? It shows you the kind of UTAG executives we have!!!

We will not allow you, few self-seeking leeches and vampires, to destroy where we take our daily bread. The University is running and will run. Do not dare try anything funny this time else you will regret it.

We are also calling on government to constitute our Governing Council as soon as possible!

MAJORITY UTAG VOICE

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