Nine paramount chiefs in Ghana’s Upper East region have alerted state security agencies to a plot reportedly being hatched by some people to disrupt an ongoing search for Vice-Chancellor and Registrar at the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in Navrongo.
The two positions became vacant after a High Court in the region’s capital, Bolgatanga, nullified the appointments of Prof. Eric Magnus Wilmot as Vice-Chancellor and Dr. Vincent A. Ankamah-Lomotey as Registrar because the pair had passed the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
The court judgment, delivered by Justice Charles Adjei Wilson on Monday, 27 November 2023, triggered a search for substantive successors of the two retirees.
But while the search was underway, Prof. Wilmot initiated an appeal against the judgment and a Navrongo resident, George Abeliwine Apasigo, filed an application for interlocutory injunction against the replacement search.
The nine paramount chiefs, whose traditional areas are found in the Kassena-Nankana section of the region, revealed in a press statement jointly signed and issued Tuesday that the brains behind the plot sought to engage some youths in Navrongo (where the public university is situated) to disrupt the replacement efforts through demonstrations and acts of violence.
“We also deem it imperative to express our disgust at attempts by faceless individuals to misinform, mislead and incite a cross-section of the youth of Navrongo against the Governing Council and its highly esteemed Chairman during the process of a search for a new Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.
“Notice is hereby served that such counter-productive acts shall not be countenanced henceforth. While urging members of the university community to resort to well established internal procedures for dispute resolution, we equally entreat the police and the National Investigation Bureau to act swiftly to avert unwarranted demonstrations and acts of violence intended to disrupt the smooth running of the university,” the chiefs said.
The chiefs are: the Paramount Chief of Chiana and President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Pε Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III; the Paramount Chief of Navrongo, Pε Dennis A.B.A. Asagpare II; the Paramount Chief of Paga, Pε Charles Awia Awampaga II; the Paramount Chief of Mirigu, Naba Anonsona Anthony Abisa III; and the Paramount Chief of Kayoro, Pε Oscar Batabi Tiyiamu II.
The other traditional authorities include: the Paramount Chief of Kologo, Naba Clifford Tandagrewongrekugre Asobayire V; the Paramount Chief of Katiu, Pε Ayikode Zangwio Atoge IV; the Paramount Chief of Nakong, Pε Joseph Banapeh Afagachie II; and the Paramount Chief of Naga, Naba Olando A. Awini III.
Chiefs declare support for Governing Council
The High Court in Bolgatanga is expected to sit on Apasigo’s injunction application on Monday, 15 April 2024.
In the face of the injunction move, the paramount chiefs declared their support in the press statement for the university’s Governing Council.
“In particular, we declare our unflinching support for the adoption of best practices by the Governing Council in the criteria and procedures for appointing the next Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. We further state unequivocally that we are ready to work with the management team that would be put in place to help position the university, to achieve its mandate of ‘providing quality higher education, research, knowledge generation and dissemination with emphasis on basic and applied sciences and mathematics for the socio-economic development of Ghana and beyond.’
“The C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences is a national asset and the people of the Upper East Region are privileged to have it situated on our soil. It, therefore, behooves on us to jealously protect and preserve it, hence the urgent need to eschew needless litigations and acts of violence that have the potential to derail the progress of the university,” the chiefs stated.
The statement added: “We further wish to seize this opportunity to appeal to the government, development partners, corporate entities and well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the university in its quest to address the infrastructural inadequacies, through the construction of lecture halls, hostel facilities, science laboratories, and office space for smooth academic work.”
Meanwhile, the Governing Council has appointed the university’s most senior professor, Prof. Albert Luguterah, as the institution’s Acting Vice-Chancellor.
Prof. Luguterah’s appointment took effect on Monday, 25 March 2024. Gilbert Ansoglenang remains as Acting Registrar, according to a circular signed by the council’ chairman.
Mr Ansoglenang has held that office since Dr. Ankamah-Lomotey exited the public university last year together with Prof. Wilmot by court order.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org
