Prime Minister Busia’s Apollo 542 Revisited Under President Akuffo-Addo; The Targeting Of Ewes Continues In Ghana

I have been observing with deep apprehension and concern the way certain individuals are being dismissed without adequate due process within this current dispensation. As a Ghanaian, I shudder to think that we are repeating exactly what Prime Minister Busia and his government did towards people of the Ewe extraction. Ewes were summarily dismissed without adequate due process. It took the Supreme Court’s intervention to put a stop to this ethnic and tribal agenda after Mr. Sallah took the Busia government to court to contest his dismissal and won his case. This case became a celebrated case (Sallah vrs the State). However, the other dismissed Ewes quietly moved on to either look for new positions or started their own business.

I have lived in Ghana all my life. I was a young graduate during the time of Busia and witnessed the rate of injustice meted out to people from a particular tribe. I strongly believe this was the catalyst for the overthrow of Busia and his government by Col. Agbo, Major Selormey, Brigadier Utuka, etc., all from the Volta region and their band of loyal soldiers. But to show that the coup had wide support, Col Acheampong was asked to lead the government.

Prof. Mawutor Avoke the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education Winneba together with other employees namely Dr. Akorli, Mary Dzimey, Lilian Shine Agbevivi and Lawrence Quarshie all from the Volta Region were discharged from their employment at University of Education Winneba by a council that had repeatedly disrespected the dictates of the High Court in Cape Coast, in contempt of various acts and had deleterious attitude towards these individuals. Truth be told, I still ask why there was a rush to put in place new officers instead of waiting for the Supreme Court judgement. Interestingly, President Akuffo in his speech said, he was informed that the legal issues surrounding UEW had been resolved. It appears; whoever was the intermediary between the University and the President had misinformed the President. Currently, there are two cases in the Cape Coast High Court, one in the Appeals Court and two at the Supreme Court

There is an unfortunate perception or misperception that once one hails from the Volta Region, such an individual is an NDC supporter. This is the most fantastical belief that I have encountered. Long before Prof. Avoke for example became the Vice Chancellor of UEW, several petitions motivated by tribalism and ethnocentrism were sent to the Ministry of Education claiming he is not from the Central region and as such SHOULD not be a Vice Chancellor in a Fante region. Hon. Ablakwa Okudzeto is on record to emphatically say, he even has the records of all the petitions that were sent from the Central region opposing Prof. Avoke’s appointment. The plot was conceived by the cabal, led by Afenyo Markin who incidentally, has now become the lawyer for the same university that he took to court. With a corrupt High Court Judge called Mills, and a Council chairman, Abakah staunchly supported by Afull- Broni the plot thickened. When Professor Yankah, the Sector Minister of tertiary education expressed his consternation with regards to how Professor Avoke was treated, it appeared he was quickly silenced because, after the media interview, he disappeared in sight and did not attend the investiture at UEW.

The disturbing questions are:
1. Are Ewes not Ghanaian citizens?
2. Are past and present Vice Chancellors in all public Universities appointed on the basis of their tribal or party affiliations?

3. Should people in the Volta region require that UHASS be headed by someone from the region and not someone from the Eastern region?

4. Equally, should Vice Chancellors and Rectors in the various regions be headed by only individuals that come from that region?

ALLEGED PROCUREMENT BREACHES THAT HAS BEEN CITED FOR DISMAISSAL

The North Campus Road contract which has superficially become the focus was signed by Prof. Asabere Ameyaw the previous Vice Chancellor and all vouchers regarding the construction of that particular road by Lamas Construction were signed by Prof. Asabere Ameyaw and Prof. Afful Broni the current Vice Chancellor. Evidently, the pair has their names engraved on the plaque commissioning the North campus gate. The dismissal of Prof. Mawutor Avoke over a procurement contract for which he did not sign is profoundly prejudiced. Prof. Ameyaw is walking free and Prof Afful-Broni has been elevated. Is this equal protection under the law? Is this justice? Is this not tribalism and ethnic politics?

It must be stated without a shed of a doubt that the dismissed officials were subjected to investigations by the BNI and EOCO. In their investigation, they did not find any evidence of malpractice. That explains why they are still walking around as free citizens. It is noticeably lamentable, unsounded, malicious and more inescapable to observe how the new administration continues the projects that they claim were illegally awarded. Why didn’t they abrogate all the supposed illegal contracts that they claim were against the procurement act? This essentially demonstrates that the sacking of these officials was planned and executed using the tribal lens. I believe Ewes and other tribes across Ghana and all individuals that detest tribalism should fight and defend the equal protection under our constitution. We do not want to blindly sit down for another Apollo 542 is repeated. Academics must be rid of political and tribal interference.

This is the only way; we can assure academic freedom of speech. Governments come governments go. If President Akuffo-Addo is really a human rights lawyer, then I am afraid, so far he has not manifested an iota of defending the cause of the dismissed officials. Dismissal without trials, dismissals without being guilty, and dismissals because of one’s tribe is not the Ghana we want to show the world. For the President to be in bed with individuals that disrespect the High Court in Cape Coast and its decisions is tragic, unfortunate, sad and unacceptable. Our democracy is being tested. Our judiciary is being tested. Our citizens are being tested. Can we go about disrespecting orders of the courts with impunity? I do not think so. Let history not repeat itself.