The University Of Education, Winneba Saga And Matters Arising Currently Cum Public Purse Protectors Turn Looters

Some people of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) who hitherto were thinking that UEW case is in court so both UTAG National and UTAG-UEW should be careful about issues are now in a limbo and they are trying to use the conduit, Alhassan Salifu Bawah (son of a peasant farmer) to put out false hope for those UEW staff who were happy about Supi Kofi Kwayera fronting for Alex Afenyo Markin suit. I now see the UEW case as “if an ant will bite you, it will be from your cloth”. The same people who claimed the due process must be followed are not afraid of the things that will follow after the Supreme Court of Ghana granted all the reliefs in a certiorari application by UTAT-UEW (Dr. Bekoe). The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, December 20. 2017.

On intimidation, victimisation and reward of mediocrity on UEW campus under current Council Chairman and Ag VC

Lest I forget, I don’t want to glorify two articles recently put out there by Bawah trying to paint a picture that as for VC and FO, they will never return to UEW and he failed to let us know where they will go. Bawah have been rewarded with Coordinator of General Courses (with the Responsibilities of HOD and Dean) at the Business School and the appointment letter was stupidly signed by the Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni. For this Bawah guy who keeps attacking Prof. Avoke and Dr Akorlie, I do understand him. He has been duly rewarded. He wrote an article with his usual myopic lenses attacking the appointment of some people as Deans. I asked myself what is the basis of his appointment in the history of the University. Bawah as I hear is roughly two years in the University and now being rewarded at the expense of hardworking staff in the University. The current administration is killing hard work and it is a pity for an academic environment. The likes of Dandy (another recruit) being trained to overthrow and become Pro VC/VC, Ameyaw (aspiring PRO VC), Isaac Brako (already rewarded), the Ag. Dean of languages of Foreign languages (one Andy), etc. have their heads on their pillows and honestly forgotten that they are benefiting from this mess...and I assure them, they will weep. As for Andy and his promotion and appointment, we leave it to his conscience.

People keep calling me a faceless character and all names, but that is not an issue, the issue is that I am against injustice and mediocrity which is eating deep into UEW. I am a proud alumnus, period! Bawah mistakenly said the Pro VC is not taking responsibility allowance out of ignorance.... yes, he is not and it is not because he does not like it, BUT he cannot just as he cannot attend VCG meetings. No court appoints VCs in Ghana and therefore his position is ILLEGAL per statues of the University. He is just as a LOCAL Ag. VC as he is a LOCAL PROFESSOR with many paid publications which he manipulated the system and rules to get promoted with.

This has been the reward since the Coup D’état that was launched on a gentle and hard working Professor. I do not want to talk much of the victimisation, intimations among others that have characterised the atmosphere in UEW since July this year. It saddens my soul to think that one who is supposed to be a priest is at the centre of this issue. One wonders if the Catholic Church is still relevant with their man chasing the world for wealth and power, using all means available. Check your publication profile as a professor, and one would understand the promotions you are currently ‘dishing out’. It is now like ‘say anything nonsense against Prof Avoke and Akorlie and get one promotion/appointment free’ and ‘fight for justice and truth in UEW and get ready to face a committee with Prof Ameyaw as a Chairman’. They are now promoting people who cannot even mention the names of 3 journals in which they have published their articles. A typical case is the recent promotion of one Isaac Brako whom I hear has a PhD. The reports of the two external assessors were explicit that Barko’s publications were not worthy of senior lecturer’s rank but was sadly approved by an Ag VC who is ethnocentric and vindictive in all aspects of his life. To make matters worse, they are pushing nonentities and mediocre into departments to go and teach because government have given financial clearance of over 100 to UEW to employ. I have followed and monitored the case and I weep and wonder if these people really think well of the future of UEW. ANYONE who doubts me can cross-check in the university and would know what is currently ongoing. No wonder when this current Pro VC applied for promotion to the rank of ACCELERATED FOOL PROFESSOR, one of the assessors who was professional commented that he wondered what this applicant was coming to profess based on the track record of his publications. If you doubt this, tell the Priest to make his assessors’ reports available, and we could compare with those of a hardworking Professor like Prof. Avoke Mawutor. Half of the publications of the priest cost him not less than less 200 dollars (predatory publications) and that is the man wanting to provide academic leadership. I leave this out to the genuine guys to judge and not those benefiting from the current mess and for that matter being blinded by the reality of the situation.

A bit on the recent appointment and promotion board meeting

Just a bit to educate the public that now for one to get appointment at UEW, a request has to be sent to the Effutu MP, Hon Markins Afenyo. It is rumoured that in the just ended Appointment and promotions Board meeting, staff were being imposed on departments and some who never showed up for Faculty interactions are the people who are being recommended. This is indeed sad for the future of the university considering the fact that excellence is no longer respected. We hear lecturers make noise before students that they soon would be Professors, Pro VCs and VCs just by virtue of their current links with this current management that is simply out to destroy UEW for selfish gains. The imposition of the staff on departments is no different from the appointment of the Registrar, a former staff of the University who ran to join KNUST and mysteriously appointed at the expense of the dedicated Deputy Registrars who have continued to contribute towards the wellbeing of the University. I am still on a hunt of documents on this appointment of the Registrar and soon, we shall see the real issues at UEW. Many staff want to talk, but live in fear because they are now in a MILITARY REGIME with Flight Lieutenant Anthony Afful Broni and his able assistants Professor Nicolas Abakah and the Registrar at war with anyone who stands out for the truth. Can a university grow on mediocrity? Does this Priest still pray to Jesus Christ who was a symbol of Love? Was he really ordained by the Catholic Church or he forcefully became a priest through another Coup D’état? His Bishop must sincerely sit up and help restore the image of the church. His chasing the world for wealth and power does not speak well of the Church that stands for justice. Numbers are reduced in the Church, both well thinking Senior and Junior members of the University committee and students have stopped going to this Church and he is not touched, because he is after the WORLD. I weep for the Catholic Church as they have characters as this man surprisingly leading them to God…I fear this man would only lead you to the pleasures of the world. There is tension in departments currently because of this imposition…but the leader tells the quality at hand. The priest himself has been pushed throughout his stay at the university. There is nothing he has worked for, not even his promotion to Senior Lecturer. No report of his has ever been good enough to get him to the next ranks. Recently one of the people who aided his promotion lamented and regretted why he is behaving the way he is doing. He defied university regulations on his applications and I hope some university staff would take him on that soon.

Summary of the certiorari application at the Supreme Court

I happen to chance on the certiorari application documents and have some excerpts to share here: “This application is premised on two main grounds: i. Error of law on the face of the record. ii. Wrongful assumption of jurisdiction by the High Court, Winneba” and the following were some reliefs sought and some law arguments made:

1. CAPACITY OF THE APPLICANT
2. ERROR OF LAW ON THE FACE OF THE RECORD

1. Authorities on Error of Law on the Face of the Record
2. The High Court committed a fundamental error of law on the face of the record when it held that the 1st Interested Party’s application was for the enforcement of fundamental human rights
3. The High Court committed a jurisdictional error of law patent of the face of the record when it held that the High Court, and not the Supreme Court, has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce fundamental human rights in the public interest where no personal right is involved.
4. The High Court committed a jurisdictional error of law patent on the face of the record when it held that the means of commencing an action for the enforcement of fundamental human rights in the public interest is by application to the High Court.
5. The High Court committed a fundamental error of law patent on the face of the record when it held that the means of enforcing any statute is by an application

3. WRONGFUL ASSUMPTION OF JURISDCITION

1. The High Court wrongfully assumed jurisdiction to enforce Act 663 when the Act clearly provides for the remedy for its breach
2. The High Court Wrongfully assumed jurisdiction over a matter commenced by motion which raises serious factual disputes.
3. The High Court wrongfully assumed jurisdiction over the matter commenced by a motion seeking a declaration that the 2nd and 3rd Interested Parties have committed a criminal offence.

4. PROHIBITION

My Lords, in addition to the order of certiorari quashing the decision of the Court, we pray Your Lordships to grant an order of prohibition restraining the High Court, Winneba presided over by HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES from continuing to hear the matter which is still pending before him. My Lords, the grounds for this order are error of law on the face of the record and wrongful assumption of jurisdiction.

It was a 46-page application document and the arguments espoused in the certiorari application was based on law and not on ‘Geography’ as Alex Afenyo Markin has been doing. All the reliefs were granted by the 5-member panel. I learned in concluding, the presiding judge said, the certiorari application is hereby granted. When they realised Alex Afenyo Markin’s face looked like chimpanzee after the ruling, they appease him that the ruling does not affect the governing council’s decision. Alex Afenyo bused media personnel to the Supreme Court and granted them interview after the ruling and was hammering on “it does not affect council’s decision” as if he is the UEW’s lawyer. Is Alex Afenyo a member of the University community? Alex Afenyo is giving hope to his followers through some self-seeking media personnel on the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The University community must know that the supreme court’s ruling vitiates all that the Winneba High Court has done from July up to December 14, 2017 and that there is no Ag. VC again unless council reconstitutes and deliberates on the matter thereof. The appointment letter given to Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni was premised on the injunction granted by the Winneba High Court presided by HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES which is now null and void. When one reads HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES ruling he delivered on December 14, 2017, one would see that he has been in bed with Alex Afenyo for long time. I learned that it is an open secret even among the staff at the Winneba High Court that any case Alex Afenyo send before HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES, he wins most of them. Instead of HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES going home honourably, he has just messed up in this UEW case. His December 14, 2017 ruling looks like an English Essay and not based on law. Let me quote some sentences not based on law from his 32-page ruling document. It reads “Surprisingly, the Vice-Chancellor and the Financial Officer – as Principal Officer of the 1^st Respondent cannot obey simple instructions sent to them by the 2^nd Respondent. They have no respect for the directives of the President of the Republic of Ghana and they have also not regard for the 2^nd Respondent. To the extent that both the Vice-Chancellor and the Finance Officer were reckless in managing scare (am sure he meant scarce) financial resources of the 1^st Respondent by doling out monies from the coffers of the 1^st Respondent without making serious enquires…As who so ever asked the Vice-Chancellor to stay at post even after the expiration of the Governing Council of which he is a member, the President, His Excellency Mr. John Dramani Mahama who had no such authority have extended the term of office to the Governing Council. I hold that their term of office of the Governing Council including the Vice-Chancellor lapsed and cannot return to take up the positions the Vice-Chancellorship of the 1^st Respondent and the Financial Officer, as Principal Officer of the 1^st Respondent even having disregarded…is not fit and proper person to return to the position which he hold (am sure he meant holds) prior to the institution of the case.” One may also ask “Is HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE ATO MILLS-GRAVES also fit to hear the case?” He is among the judges in Ghana who have tarnished the image of the judiciary.

Looting of UEW funds
I am thinking why the current government will nominate 4 hungry people to be her nominee on the UEW governing council. Please, the 4 government nominees are not really people who have the University at heart and I will edge VCG and National UTAG and all well-meaning Ghanaians to join forces to let government dissolve the current UEW governing council so that peace can return to UEW. The chairman has called for countless emergency meetings where allowances were paid. He initially formed a so called fact finding committee to find facts to make UEW defend herself at the court(s) and later turned to join the plaintiff in order to paint a picture that the 6 interdicted officers are criminals without knowing that he was a failed Pro VC. It has been alleged that Alex Afenyo Markin has asked Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni to pay him 20,000 cedis every 2 weeks and after the first payment was made, he couldn’t continue. I am sure some of you might have heard of an audio of Alex Afenyo Markin in which he was on Peace FM speaking in parables and even said that “February is coming ooo”. I am sure it is directed to Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni. Government through the Ministry of Education should audit the November, 2017 congregation budget and Ghanaians will see the kind of spending that is going on nowadays in UEW. The caretaker management realising that it is not easy to take money from the university accounts are just organising meetings, workshops and other unnecessary gathering in which payments are made.

And now to the 6 interdicted officers
It is hurting to stain people just because of wicked plans and ambitions of others. Are the Council Chairman and Bawah now heads of security agencies in Ghana? What investigations have not been carried out by the BNI and other Security Agencies in Ghana? They should be silent on this vindictiveness and hatred and think of the future of UEW. Bawah says Prof Avoke and Dr Akorlie would go to jail.... for what? I doubt if this guy sat in law class with these kinds of argumentations. People do not go to court based on allegations. I really hope they would be dragged to court soon to answer questions. However, I entreat these 6 victims who are victims of the greed and hatred of a few selfish ones to go to court to clear their names and come back to their positions. Please, the fact finding committee is a bias one so try and point that to your lawyers. The council has no power to turn itself into a disciplinary committee (alert your lawyers). If the current council doesn’t understand how to run a university, go to court to teach them how to govern a university. At the centre of the trouble of UEW is the Council Chairman who is on a revenge trip to UEW. He is himself jealous of EWES as his illegal Ag. VC.

Victor K. Owusu (An Alumnus of UEW)
[email protected]