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01.01.2018 Feature Article

Re: The Bastardization Of The University Of Education, Winneba-UEW

Re: The Bastardization Of The University Of Education, Winneba-UEW
01.01.2018 LISTEN

Thanks to Prof. Kweku Sofoh for making this rejoinder much easier. Like Prof. Victor K. Owusu, Sofoh is another coward hiding behind a pseudo name.

I say this without any qualms because, even an illiterate would know that in a civil action, there is a discretion as to whether to sue or not to sue. For example, financial institution A, may decide to sue its loan defaulters to recover its funds, while financial institution B, could decide to simply write such debts off.

Therefore, if most governing councils at the period in question were illegally operating, it behoves on other responsible citizens to take those councils on. If Supi Kwayera or Hon. Markin is wrong in law to have taken UEW to court on the question of illegal decisions by a defunct governing council and other glaring violations of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended, what stops this so-called Prof. Kweku Sofoh to head to court and assert his rights?

The disgraceful
shortcomings in his 2 articles published with regards to the current UEW legal impasse, are enough to draw a question mark on his claim of being a Professor.

Kweku Sofoh himself is not qualified to be a member of his so-called Professors’ esteem club. Where in his 2 articles did he quote a single relevant law of this country to support his feeble rantings?

It is on record that Prof. Avoke awarded a contract, valued at over Ghc 15,000,000.00 to Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd.

In a report submitted by a Consultant engaged by UEW to evaluate this Tender, all 4 tenderers (Sparkx Gh Ltd; Donajos Co. Ltd; Wilkado Ltd; and Paabadu Ltd) were disqualified.

Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd, who Prof. Avoke eventually awarded this contract to, was disqualified on the basis that the said Company, failed to provide proof of having executed satisfactorily, works of similar nature in the last 3 years as mandated by the tender documents.

The onus is on Prof. Avoke and his blind followers like Kweku Sofoh to quote a Section of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended, where he derived authority from in the award of that particular contract to Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd.

This is not Rocket Science! If a whole Professor is unable to carry out this simple and basic task within a matter of seconds, then what are you?

Any Professor worth his salt would have headed to court long ago to argue out his case.

The issues at UEW are not grounded on baseless and useless research, and mere hearsay. The core issues centre on clear Constitutional violations and insolently and myopically believing that academic freedom would serve as a full defence to gargantuan loot of state funds. Nowhere in the Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29), is it stated that academic freedom is a full or partial defence in cases of theft of public funds by officials of tertiary institutions.

On the issues of the appointment of Prof. Abakah as the UEW governing council Chairman; and that of the Ag. VC of UEW, Sofoh demonstrates classic ignorance.

What about this “innocent scholar” who has allegedly been dismissed? I’m getting more convinced that Sofoh has no clue how civilised societies such as universities operate. He should simply do basic research and he will bow his head in shame for jumping to conclusions when he does not even have the facts.

With all their so-called degrees or whatever, an akpeteshie seller (Supi Kwayera) is more civilised than Prof. Avoke and his paid toothless bull dogs.

The frailty of this frustrated Kweku Sofoh's mournings, serve as grounds for one to recommend to him that he needs lessons from Supi Kwayera as to the way forward.

Prof. Kweku Sofoh and all the other Avoke ‘foot soldiers', should know that the only medium that can be of help to saving Prof. Avoke from having his freedom curtailed by a court of competent jurisdiction, is the law court. The media has absolutely no role to play in Prof. Avoke's quest to disentangle himself from the mess he wilfully allowed himself to be roped in by his Finance Officer.

Prof. Kweku Sofoh should go and check the files on the total and wilful disregard for Act 663 by Prof. Avoke in the award of the contract for the Construction of Lecturers' Office Complex At Winneba to Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd and several others.

This revelation will keep Prof. Kweku Sofoh's audience spell-bound in his next article and earn him some intellectual recognition.

Alhassan Salifu Bawah
(son of an upright peasant farmer)

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