Afenyo-Markin’s Greed Is Destroying UEW

Thank God I have been vindicated. Ever since this whole UEW brouhaha started I had always known that the whistleblower was up to something and he was not really interested in fighting against corruption and injustice as he claimed. Last Monday, I listened carefully as Citi Fm’s Umaru Sanda interviewed the Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency, Mr Alex Afenyo-Markin.

And I must say, I admired the questions Umaru Sanda asked the parliamentarian. He asked “Would you apologize to Prof Avoke and the rest of the people who you fought against?” He asked again “looking at current happenings in UEW, would you then say that Prof Avoke should be reinstated? In an attempt to respond to the questions, Mr Alex Afenyo-Markin, who, I believe should be blamed for the woes of the University could not give any befitting answer to Sandra’s questions? Why do some politicians always want to take us for fools? The University of Education, Winneba, like any other university in Ghana had problems.

Yes! But, it was running smoothly until Afenyo started waging an attack on the school for reasons best known to him. For over a year, he drove the reputation and image of the University through the mud. Some of us from where we sat knew definitely that this man wanted something other than what he was fighting for.

Eventually, he succeeded to bring Prof. Avoke and his people to their knees; a cringe-worthy sign of academic coup de dat, which he has mordaciously instigated. And he lobbied for his choice, Rev Fr. Prof Afful Broni to be installed as the substantive Vice Chancellor. That was when he started revealing his real intentions of embarking on the coup. Afenyo became the Co-Vice Chancellor and eventually controlling things in the University.

Procurement contracts were arranged in his house. His companies were winning all the contracts. All his party executives and his boys suddenly became suppliers. He decided on who should be given contracts, who should be transferred and who should be promoted. The Vice Chancellor, Rev Fr Prof Afful Broni was almost irrelevant. In no time, the VC came to the realization that he has to exert his authority as the head of the school. He started resisting the oppressor's rule and opposed the numerous diabolic requests of Mr Afenyo Markin. And this was the beginning of the Second World War we are about to witness.

At an arranged closed-door meeting between some management members of the University and the constituency executives of the New Patriotic Party, the Member of Parliament imperiously attacked the Vice Chancellor for not adhering to his dictates, thereby forcing the Vice Chancellor to kneel and beg him. At the said meeting, Mr Afenyo Markin placed a lot of requests before the VC and one of the requests was that the management of the University should add Ten Ghana Cedis to the school fees of each student, purposely to finance his self-serving political activities.

He simply abused the VC in the presence of some of the University staff who were at the meeting.
The Member of Parliament was hoping that things will reverse in his favour after the meeting, but to his dismay, things were rather going contrary to what was expected. The VC had awoken from his slumber and ready to take over the school.
This is when the Member of Parliament started roaring. He has been looking out for any little opportunity to bounce back and cause havoc to the University. Eventually, an opportunity has presented itself! Two notable lecturers have been sacked from the University; a grievous mistake by the University Council in my opinion.

Why would you do such a crazy mistake? On what premise will you sack these lecturers? Must you get rid of all your enemies? Don’t you know that if you succeed in getting rid of all your enemies, your friends will become your enemies? This, in my opinion, seems like victimization than a genuine cause and you may pay for it.

Mark my words, Afenyo- Markin will ride on this to drag the cassock of the Rev Fr through the mud. He will go all length to ruin this man. He is already behind doors mobilizing the SRC and some members of the Alumni to embark on a demonstration.

I am an Alumnus of UEW but I won’t fall for these stupid tactics of these politicians. Why should I abandon my work in Accra and go to Winneba to demonstrate for this stupid cause? I know some people will follow blindly and waste their time for this meaningless demonstration and I pity those people. Shall I be surprised of the new alliance by Afenyo-Markin, Prof Avoke and Prof Avea Noah? This has always been the strategy of this manipulative politician. I wish these great Professors realise this early. Check the history, Afenyo Markin has no permanent friend.

If you doubt me check the story between him and Prof Kankam, Prof Asiedu Adoo, Dr. Robert Ghunney (former Effutu MCE and Effutu Constituency secretary), Dr James Kofi Annan (NPP financier), Lawyer Yankson (former staunch NPP member), Mr Quaye (NPP Financier), Mr. Ernest Danquah (Former Campaign Manager of Alex Afenyo-Markin).

His approach has always been to use people and dump them afterwards. You are his friend when he needs your help but once he achieves what he wants, he will stab you hard in the back and dispose off you. Why do we allow ourselves for politicians to take us for fools? And oh! Let me guess, his next step is to go back to court and pay judges to rule in his favor like he did in his initial attack on the University, bring in his own people to take over so that he can have control over the school again, control procurement contracts, direct transfers, promotions and employment in the University and become a Viking god in Effutu. Afenyo Markin’s is nurturing plans on mobilizing some youth in Winneba to demonstrate against the management of UEW. Council watch out! If you are a student, an alumnus or staff of the University, don’t lose sight of the fact that Afenyo- Markin is not an Alumnus of the University, neither is he staff of the University.

Aside he being a member of parliament in the constituency where the university is, he has no stake in the University. If all MPs with University in their constituency start to to meddle in the affairs of their University, what will be the state of our academia? Before you join the call to demonstrate against the current management as a student or Alumnus of UEW, kindly pause and ask yourself these questions, “how do I benefit from this?” , “who stands to benefit out of this?”. If you are able to get answers to these questions, then you will be able to resist the attempt to be fooled by these politicians. If you want to organize a demonstration, it should rather be against the one man killer, killing UEW!

Fredrick Asumadu UEW Alumnus 2010/ 2011 [email protected]