The Minority in Parliament has given government a seven-day ultimatum to constitute new governing councils for all public universities across the country after their expiration on the eve of January 7, 2021.

It is threatening to haul the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, before Parliament’s Education Committee to explain the councils' delay.

The governing councils of the universities became defunct following the Presidential Transitions Act 2012, which states that all statutory boards and committees are dissolved before the coming into force of a new government.

Even though government provided a five-month extension to allow for the proper reconstitution of the councils, it failed to meet its May 31 deadline leaving the schools with no legitimate body to issue degrees, approve appointments and promotions, among others.

In an exclusive interview with JoyNews, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, said, "government must constitute the governing councils of the universities as soon as possible, at least within the next seven days."

"I am meeting the [Education Committee] chairman this morning to let the minister appear before the committee this week to tell us the steps the ministry is taking to ensure that the councils are reconstituted."

Already, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission says it has submitted all details about nominees for the councils to government.

It maintains that the remainder of the work needed to constitute the councils is out of its remit and now in government hands.

But Peter Nortsu-Kotoe says government’s delay in constituting the governing councils is unacceptable.

"When you look at the composition of the governing councils, governments reps are just a few when you add them to the chairman. So I do not know why it is taking so long to constitute new councils," he said.