The Registrar of the University of Education, Winneba, Paul Osei Barima, was on Monday locked out of his office for not complying with the directive to proceed on leave.

The University’s Governing Council Chairman, Nana Ofori Ansah, had ordered the Registrar to proceed on leave and exhaust his accumulated leave, a directive the Registrar deemed irregular and illegal.

In a letter dated May 18, 2022, the Chairman also appointed Mrs. Tete Mensah to act as Registrar.

Prior to the appointment of Mrs. Tete Mensah, the Council Chairman stated in the letter to the Registrar that his leave would take effect from May 19th, 2022, by which time the total number of days worked out by the Human Resource Division of the University would have been reached.

The directive by the Governing Council Chairman, according to the Registrar, is in sharp contrast with Section A of the Governing Council’s decision/policy on annual leave for principal officers and principals of colleges, which states that “all principal officers and principals of colleges, excluding the Vice-Chancellor, are granted thirty-one (31) days of annual leave per year, which should not be accumulated.” If it happens that a principal officer is unable to take his/her leave, the leave is forfeited for that year.”

Per the above provision, the Registrar was convinced the Council Chairman was acting unilaterally and ultra vires and wrote back to him explaining how the university’s system worked and how such decisions should not be taken solely by him but in concert with the entire membership of the governing council.

On Monday, when the Registrar went to work, the cylinders to his door had been changed: he had been locked out. The registrar had to stay and work outside of his office.

The situation is reported to be heightening the tension at the university as the current peace the university is enjoying is being threatened by such acts.