body-container-line-1
15.05.2018 Opinion

The True State Of Affairs At University Of Education - Winneba

By Carolus Asampambila
Photo Of Holy Spirirt Catholic Church, UEW - WinnebaPhoto Of Holy Spirirt Catholic Church, UEW - Winneba
15.05.2018 LISTEN

The University of Education, Winneba case is about a citizen of Ghana going to court to request the positions of the then VC and FO to be declared vacant since the occupants had been appointed by a Governing Council whose term had expired. The lame excuse that Ex-President Mahama wrote to extend their term was also tested in court, and it could not stand! Indeed one did NOT need a lawyer to explain this obvious issue - that NO President has power to overrule a law of that nature.

Supi Kwayera also prayed the court to grant reliefs on several alleged illegalities surrounding the contracts awarded at UEW.

One huge fact is that the then UTAG executives, without any recourse to the general UTAG population, unilaterally went to hire a very expensive lawyer, with UTAG money, illegally so, and attempted severally to join the case.

Having been turned down, they again, without recourse to the general UTAG population, went to SUPREME COURT which finally quashed the Winneba High Court ruling on the basis of the METHOD USED TO FILE THE CASE. Interestingly, the Supreme Court gave Supi Kwayera the blessings to return to court - and was magnanimous enough to even direct what method would be commendable. Furthermore, the Supreme Court took judicial notice of, recognised and respected the decisions that the Governing Council had taken to ask the officers to step aside!

Supi Kwayera has since filed as directed by Supreme Court and the Winneba High Court has rightly ruled that the term of the Governing Council that appointed Prof. Mawutor Avoke and Theophilus Akorlie had expired; therefore Prof. Avoke and Dr. Akorlie were appointed illegally. This means that the two cannot hold themselves out as officers of UEW! Simple!

Attempting to throw dust into the eyes of people by declaring that the then Pro VC, Rev Fr. Prof Afful-Broni was also appointed by the same Governing Council is very pathetic. Fact is that the Pro VC’s Appointment does NOT emanate from the Governing Council but from Convocation. The Governing Council only gave its “recognition”. It is just like the Governing Council having given same recognition to the Certificates of those thousands of students who had graduated during the time of the illegal Governing Council. It is equally like the recognition given to the appointments and promotions of all staff who received their nod under the illegal Governing Council.

Readers will remember how Prof. Avea Nsoh, Dr. Bekoe, Dr. Duku Frimpong Kakyere, Madam Katumi Mada, and Dr. Atintionu were shamefully silenced after ALL the Appointments & Promotions of Staff as well as ALL the certificates of students were legally regularised. Quickly, they had to come up with something to fight about. So they resorted to further lie telling.

They concocted a story about the Acting VC having stolen 1 billion old Ghana cedis, with fake PV as evidence- when they knew clearly that as Pro VC, in his second term, the Reverend, like all other Principal Officers of UEW, had been duly given his entitled allocation. Indeed, they know for a fact that Prof Asabere-Ameyaw, Prof Mawutor Avoke, Dr C.Y. Akwaa-Mensah, Theophilus Akorlie, had ALL received these allocations, for some, more than once, at various times in their official capacities as Principal Officers of UEW.

When they realised that these vile lies were not working, they started their writings of scandalous articles under pseudonyms- VICTOR K. OWUSU, KWEKU SOFOH, ERIC APPIAH, etc. Discerning Ghanaians, including UEW students, started mocking them for the ridiculous writings.

One of the miserable lies they told was that the Catholic Church on campus being led by the Acting VC had collapsed since everyone had left to other churches! What Prof. Ephrem Avea Nsoh hoped for was that his tribesmen and cronies whom he had begged to stop going to the campus church would listen to him - just like he had managed to ban his wife and children. The truth is that the Catholic Church at UEW remains the largest church on campus and one of the largest in the entire Archdiocese of Cape Coast. The activities and social projects of the church continue to inspire many. The latest is an almost completed GHC 50,000.00 Crèche for the Trauma Specialist Hospital in town. The church continues to sponsor hundreds of needy but brilliant students, some at UEW, and is a major supporter of a very successful Orphanage- St Anna’s Orphanage in town.

As a born-Catholic and a member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Chaplaincy on UEW Campus, I can confirm to my readers that contrary to the claims of these self-seeking gluttons, the church is rather growing from strength to strength. The Chaplain (Acting VC) and his Assistant are now finding it difficult to organise joint masses for both students and staff from the North, Central and South campuses because the large church is no longer large enough for the huge populations! See these photos below for your confirmation. These photos were taken on May 13, 2018 when many students didn’t come to church due to the on-going end-of-semester examinations.

In response to the unprofessional interview granted by Prof George Oduro, Pro VC of UCC, two Professors of UEW (Prof. George Kankam – Dean of Graduate School and Prof. Henry Pufaa) were interviewed by Joy News; and they spoke the truth, expressing their disappointment of the poor behaviour of the UCC Pro VC. Prof. Avea quickly organised a rejoinder to Prof. Pufaa’s TV interview and condemned the Acting VC for giving Prof. Pufaa a contract at age 68 and attributed Pufaa’s support to this. My question is this, “If Prof Avea believes that Prof. Henry Pufaa was given a contract at age 68 and that is why he is supporting the Acting VC, why is Prof Kankam, and ALL the many other Professors and other Deans who attended the Press Conference in solidarity do so? Why is everyone (except Avea and his handful of cronies) condemning the UCC ProVC?

The Acting Vice Chancellor continues to discharge his duties to the admiration of the University’s Governing Council, UEW Management, the entire University and Ghana. The only people who can’t see anything good in what’s happening at UEW are the few dozen greedy and selfish individuals whose many illegalities, including stealing of public funds and collection of 10% on all contracts they hastily gave, have been brought to a miserable end.

CAROLUS ASAMPAMBILA
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Health Administration and Education,

University of education-Winneba,
Winneba.
[email protected]

body-container-line