Legon Council says Asenso Okyere’s decision is ill-advised

The Council of the University of Ghana has described as ill-advised a decision by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Kwadwo Asenso Okyere to resume duty on Tuesday.

The council has therefore advised the professor to rescind his decision.

The council said since the disciplinary process had not been completed, it will be ill-advised for him to return to duty without consent of the council.

This was contained in a letter signed by chairman of the University Council Ishmael Yamson, in response to an earlier one by Prof Asenso Okyere, dated April 18, 2006 giving the council a one week notice of his decision to resume work.

According to the Council's letter since it was the council which asked the Vice Chancellor to step aside, he should wait until the council asked him to resume work.

The letter said in accordance with statutes of the university, the recommendations contained in the reports of the disciplinary committees had to be considered by the examinations and the academic boards, after which the boards would send their recommendations to the council for discussions before the implementation of the disciplinary action could begin and that would mark the end of the process.

It said the council had not yet received any recommendations from the Examination and Academic Boards and so the process had not been completed, a situation contrary to the contention of the vice chancellor.

The letter asked Prof Asenso Okyere to find out from his son, Kwadwo Tabiri Asenso –Okyere, one of the students implicated by the Disciplinary Committee for his involvement in the examination malpractice whether or not he had received any letter of sanction from the authorities to suggest that the implementation of the disciplinary action against the culprits had begun.

When the Daily Graphic contacted Prof Asenso-Okyere via phone at 11.25 am on Sunday for his comments on the council's letter, he said he had not seen it because he had been out of Accra since Last Friday.

Asked whether or not he stands by his decision to resume work on Tuesday, he said that will be determined after he had read the council's letter.

Prof Asenso Okyere last week gave a week's ultimatum to the University Council informing them of his decision to resume duty as Vice Chancellor on Tuesday.