It's late to talk about sycophancy in our Universities.

We in the University of Education, Winneba cried at the roof tops. No one heard us. We climbed the hilltops. Still no one listened. We climbed up to the heavens and into hell. The graveyard was even better. A single priest turned the University upside down. The media only made some inaudible noise. Parliament was dead silence.

They the opposition and civil society only arrived too late. So the politicians led by Hon. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh executed the agenda to transform the universities into puppets with precision.

They went from UEW to KNUST, then proceeded to Wa Technical University. Still no resistance except in KNUST where staff called their bluff not without the support of the great King of Asante. So, they visited GIMPA and safely landed in GIJ.

We all were snoring. Anass, Manasseh, Adeti, the investigative journalists all went into a coma. The list is endless.
Now, the universities have become the seat of the culture of silence.

Then we wake up one afternoon to hear that the President, the former Speaker of Parliament, the former Minister of Education and their good friend Abdul-Malik Kweku Baako are all due for Honorary Doctorates and we are shouting on top of our voices.

What did we expect? Did know that the Legon Vice-Chancellor got his tenure extended by one year? That doesn't happen very often. The UPSA Vice-Chancellor narrowly missed the position. Do you know that in UEW we know who will become Vice-Chancellor even before the Search Committee completes its work? And do you know that Prof Afful-Broni has been an illegal Vice-Chancellor for four years thanks to politics? And ethnicity?

Who says man no day! And are you aware that some Vice-Chancellors are currently occupying their positions without writing an application letter or a CV? Do you know that Professor Mawutor Avoke was removed illegally but cannot return to office?

Even the pronouncement of an eminent judge like His Lordship Sir Denis Adjei could not save him. Vice-Chancellors have simply become Civil Servants. Serve the politician to keep your position. Vice-Chancellors are no better than MMDCEs and Ministers. It's not about qualifications, publications, experience. Just be a politician. Just pay your dues.

My brother Dr. Apaak should let sleeping dogs lie. When Jesus Christ resurrects and Christians become Christians and politics and ethnicity return to hell where they belong, then we can begin to feel what universities are really there for. Until then, let's agree that we have lost the battle for academic freedom.

Let's all clap for politics and ethnicity. God bless our homeland Ghana.

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The author, Prof Avea Nsoh Upper East Regional Minister.