A Senior lecturer and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Elijah Tukwariba Yin, has sued the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) after it ordered the school's Vice Chancellor, Prof Johnson Boampong, to step aside, directed Prof Dennis Aheto, Pro-VC, to act in his place, and threatened to cut off salaries, accreditation, and funding if UCC failed to comply.

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) is the second respondent to the suit.

In a statement issued on September 19, 2025, GTEC said its attention had been drawn to the fact that Prof. Boampong continues to remain in office past the compulsory retirement age of 60, in contravention of Article 199(1) of the 1992 Constitution.

GTEC explained that the office of the Vice-Chancellor is a public office under the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278), and anyone holding the position is therefore required to proceed on compulsory retirement once they turn 60.

GTEC indicated that, pending the resolution of a suit filed at the High Court in Cape Coast over the matter, the UCC Governing Council has been directed to stay the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor until the court delivers its ruling.

But Dr Yin, who has filed the suit as a private citizen, says citizens have a duty to step in when public power is abused, and he also stands to suffer based on the actions and inaction of the first respondent.

He is thus seeking the following reliefs from the court.

• Void GTEC’s letters removing the VC, naming an acting VC, and withdrawing services (Declaration).

• Quash the directive for the VC to step down

• Stop GTEC from further interference in the VC’s tenure

• Compel GTEC to process UCC’s lawful requests

• Bar Prof. Aheto from acting as VC

Dr Yin anchors his reliefs on the grounds that GTEC acted outside the law (only the Council can remove a VC), breached natural justice (no fair hearing), violated a subsisting High Court injunction, issued arbitrary threats, and unlawfully withheld statutory services.