A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, has asked to be reinstated, insisting an Economic and Organize Crime Office report absolves him of any wrongdoing.

Professor Mawutor Avoke at a media briefing in Accra Tuesday asked to be allowed to complete his unexpired term – he has six months to the end of his tenure, Hannah Odame reported.

“All the allegations made against us have been proven to be untrue especially by the EOCO, a state organisation that investigated the said allegations,” he told reporters.  

The Governing Council of the University Education, Winneba in August 2018 dismissed Professor Mawutor Avoke and four other principal officers of the university after a fact-finding committee found them guilty of procurement infractions.

The said irregularities had to do with monies paid to contractors who were working on the North Campus roads.

Prof Avoke maintained his innocence.

An investigation by the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) was launched into the matter.   

In its report, the anti-graft agency found among other things, that Prof Mawutor Avoke did not abuse his office, neither did he breach any procurement laws as alleged.

At today’s press conference, Professor Avoke also asked for the reinstatement of other lecturers who have similarly been dismissed.

He argued that failure to restate them will set a bad precedent for Higher Education in the country.

“The injustice in dismissing staff who have served the university over the past several years, on trumped up charges, evidenced in the so-called Fact Finding Report is probably the greatest injustice in the history of higher education anywhere in the civilized world,” Avoke said.

The University of Education, Winneba has persistently been in the news since last year as a fight for management of the university intensified.

On March 14, 2019, the Central Regional Security Council closed it down following a violent student demonstration.

The demonstration was occasioned by a decision of the Governing Council on March 7, 2019, to institute disciplinary actions against three lecturers after what it claimed were adverse findings against them.

This led the minority in Parliament to wade in, calling for the removal of the Council Chairman and Vice Chancellor of the University, blaming them for the woes of the university. 

The statement, issued Friday, said Vice Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni and the Council Chair, Associate Prof. Emmanuel Nicholas Abakah had not only failed to manage the University but their present positions remained the greatest obstacle to the resolution of the UEW impasse.

Subsequently, the Council reversed its position, reinstating the three lecturers.