Parliament’s Education Committee has summoned the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni.

He is expected to answer to the current impasse that led to the indefinite closure of the University early this month.

The controversy started when in 2017, the governing council of the University asked then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mawutor Avoke and four other top officials to step aside.

This was after one Supi Kofi Kwayera suspected to be a front for the MP for the area, Alexander Afenyo Markin, filed a complaint alleging financial and procurement irregularities against them.

Not long after that, the Supreme Court quashed a decision by the High Court in Winneba that found Prof. Avoke and another guilty of these procurement and other financial irregularities.

Prof. Avoke who had been demanding reinstatement after the Supreme Court ruling, was replaced with the current Vice-Chancellor Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni.

The dust seemed to have been settling until the current Vice-Chancellor sacked three lecturers thought to be influential, for varying reasons including failing to cooperate with management and instituting legal action the school. 

The MP for the area who fell-out with the Prof. Afful-Broni assured the public that the sacked lecturers would be reinstated but this was contradicted by the University Council.

Photo: The students demanded the reinstatement of their lecturers during the protest

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) then demanded the removal of the Vice-Chancellor and the Chairman of the University’s Council Prof. Nicholas Abakah accusing them of wrongfully promoting the latter.

But a group of teachers in the school calling themselves Concerned Lecturers, is dissociating itself from their national leadership and demanding the resignation of the UTAG National President, Dr. Eric Opoku Mensah.

The minority in Ghana’s parliament just waded into the storm backing calls for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and the Council Chairman of the University.

The Education Committee in Parliament is not impressed with the back and forth. They have asked the Vice-Chancellor to report to the Committee after a meeting with UTAG Executives over the development.

Its Chairman, Siaka Stevens told Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo that the issue disturbs Parliament.

“The UEW issue is a concern to all Ghanaians and all major stakeholders including Parliament so our Committee has started engaging them and the next on the line is the Vice-Chancellor.

“We are meeting separately and the rationale behind it is to know exactly the story there so each recognised body will give their story and after the meeting, we will compile it [a report] and present to Parliament,” he said.

Prof. Afful-Broni is expected to see the Committee next week.