Statement of the University of Education (UEW)

The UEW Governing Council on Thursday 22^nd February, 2018 received the Final Report of the Fact Finding Committee set up at its instance.

The Committee, by the Report, indicted six officers and found them culpable of some breaches and/or misconduct in the performance of their functions relative to the laws and regulations in the governance of the University. Council accepts the report of the Committee and proceeds to use due process as laid down in the rules and regulations governing the University and, especially, in consonance with the powers vested in Council by law to bring finality to the issues raised in the Report. Accordingly, Council has decided that these acts of breaches and/or misconduct reported against the affected officers require that they face disciplinary process to answer same.

However, Council also notes that a Court action/process has been served on the University by six interested parties including five of the officers affected by the Fact Finding Committee’s Report seeking, among others, an injunction on appointment of a new Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

While Council is of the view that the Report of the Committee as accepted is binding and of full effect, it also foresees a crisis situation in the University following the service of the court process on it.  We state for the information of UEW stakeholders and the general public that the office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor becomes vacant on 1^st March, 2018.

These developing events, if not properly addressed, may pose serious challenges to the smooth running of the University. These challenges include:

1. A vacuum in the top Administration and Management since there will neither be a Vice-Chancellor nor a Pro-Vice-Chancellor during the pendency of the court action.
2. An overriding need to have the administrative system of the University managed so that the running of UEW as a public institution is not halted or marred to the detriment of its numerous stakeholders, especially, the general student body.
3. An unprecedented (in the history of the University of Education, Winneba) act of setting up a disciplinary process against six top officers of the University including the Vice-Chancellor and the Finance Officer both of whom are Principal Officers of the University
4. An escalation of the emergency and/or crisis situation as far as the administration and management of the University is concerned

The Governing Council, therefore, has to act swiftly under the circumstances to keep the University system together to ensure a very effective management and administration process.

Accordingly, the Governing Council hereby resolves as follows:

1. The Governing Council, under Section 7 (2) of Act 672, hereby sets up a Council Disciplinary Board in order to subject the two affected Principal Officers to disciplinary process.
2. The Governing Council further directs that the other four affected officers shall be subjected to the disciplinary process provided for under Statute 36 of UEW Statutes.
3. By Section 13 (1) of Act 672, the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor is the sole prerogative of the Governing Council. Furthermore, Section 10 of Act 672 also clothes the Governing Council with general powers to “provide for any act or thing in relation to the University which it considers necessary or expedient in its capacity as the Governing Council.”

The combined effect of Section 13 (1) and Section 10 of Act 672 is that, in an emergency or crisis situation such as the one that has emerged and/or unfolding, a person or an officer in the University may be appointed to hold or occupy in an acting position the office of the Vice-Chancellor as Council considers necessary or expedient.

Since the University has been in a crisis situation for almost eight months, the Governing Council is very mindful of the current system which has helped to keep the administration of the University running smoothly ensuring efficiency and cohesion.

The Governing Council, therefore, notes with great satisfaction the effective management of the University by its current administrators and would not wish to experiment, on another interim basis, the management and administration of the University during this critical period.

Rev Fr. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor for almost four years and has since 14^th July, 2017 been acting as the Vice-Chancellor in his capacity as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. He has been tried and tested during this period of crisis and the University has remained focused with appreciable cohesion.

The Governing Council finds it necessary and expedient as an appointing authority under the circumstances to appoint Rev. Fr. Prof Anthony Afful-Broni as the Acting Vice-Chancellor forth-with not in his capacity as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor but in his own right and capacity as the most senior and experienced Professor in the University until the/a substantive Vice-Chancellor is reinstated or appointed by the Governing Council.

Signed

Prof. E. N. Abakah

Chair, UEW Governing Council