LECTURERS TURN "VAMPIRES" IN
UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA
By Iddi Muhayu-Deen
I have, in my life, seen lawlessness upon lawlessness as
well as impunity upon impunity. In almost all these instances of lawlessness
and impunity I talk about, the acts are/were being perpetuated by people who
are less enlightened; less civilized; less knowledgeable; and less educated.
What I have not seen, until now, is a situation where people who are supposed
to be the bastion of knowledge and civilization; people who impart knowledge on
us; people who teach us the difference between right and wrong as well as ‘dos’
and ‘don’ts’, deliberately and recklessly engage in lawlessness, indiscipline,
impunity and other maladjusted enterprises.
It saddens me that I'm using these rather uncomplimentary
expressions to describe the conduct of some of my former lecturers at the
University of Education, Winneba. I feel very uncomfortable engaging in this
exercise because I ought to hold my lecturers in high esteem. If for nothing at
all, I owe my first and only degree to the professional and academic service of
these very lecturers. I should therefore, at all times, regard them as my icons
and mentors. But, unfortunately, these otherwise fine lecturers won't just
allow me to revere them as such. This is as a result of their own actions and
inactions, deemed most repulsive and utterly reprehensible.
You would recall that sometime last week or two, I
authored an article with the caption, "FIGHTING ENDEMIC MALADMINISTRATION
AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPUNITY, THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND THE COURT CASE INVOLVING
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA", where I made a number of
incriminating allegations based on hard core facts and incontrovertible
evidence against some of these lecturers. The said allegations bother on gross
financial malfeasance, flagrant breaches of law and procedures, extreme
exploitation, and the unconstitutionality of the then Governing Council of the
University.
The key architects of these humongous infractions as I
pointed out, were the then Vice Chancellor by name, Prof. Mawutor Avokeh, the
Registrar of the University, Mr. Akwaa Mensah and the local UTAG President, Dr.
Bekoe, who is leading a cabal of lecturers to perpetuate this monumental
aberration against the enviable UEW brand. They superintended over a lot of bad
things and were running away from justice and accountability.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into an Afenyo Markin,
who would, of course, stop them and truly, he did just that and with stellar.
Hon. Afenyo Markin, the Member of Parliament for the Efutu Constituency ensured
that he led a client of his, Mr. Supi Kofi Kwayere to battle the top management
of the University in court over these vex issues. When these officers realized
that things were not going on well for them in court, they adopted a "Plan
B" by playing the game of public sensation and patronage with the view to
winning public sympathy.
One of the unorthodox actions they took was that, they
closed down the school when the court had clearly not said so. But they took
that decision nonetheless in order to cause public disaffection against Hon.
Afenyo Markin and his client. I'm not surprised that the court had to reprimand
them for this recklessness. They also sought to take solace by politicizing the
matter as some of them were caught pants down lobbying some NDC gurus including
MPs for support when in fact, the case in court had absolutely nothing to do
with politics. I salute those NDC members who declined their invitation and
thus, allowed the due process of law to take its course.
When the going became even tougher for them in court,
they lobbied some "interest groups" including UTAG, the UEW Alumni
and the SRC to join the suit to help them fortify their case, which was fast
sinking in jurisdictional waters. The Alumni and the SRC declined but of
course, the corruptible Dr. Bekoe and his "UTAG vampires" agreed and
filed a joinder application. And guess what? They brought in Dr. Raymond
Atuguba as an additional counsel to help them fight their dying case in court.
This notwithstanding, they still lost the case miserably.
And to the shock of the world, these shameless lecturers comprising Dr. Bekoe
and his conspirators in UTAG, UEW are calling the bluff of the court. They are
saying because the court had refused to grant them their joinder application
and also because it had asked the Vice Chancellor and the Director of Finance
of the University to step down, they will not go to work again.
In effect, they are calling an indefinite strike action
in protest of the court’s decision/ruling. Such impudence! That’s how low these
PhD Holders and Professors have stoop. They really have no shame. Why are they
betraying their very intelligence and plenty certificates? Do they think Ghana
is a lawless State? Do they think we live in a jungle? Aren’t they aware of the
appellate jurisdiction of our laws? We CANNOT and MUST NOT allow such lawlessness
and impunity to fester. I therefore call on all men and women of good
conscience to rise to the occasion and call them to order. I am happy that a
section of UTAG members in the University have come openly to completely
dissociate themselves from this reckless action of Dr. Bekoe and his
conspirators.
I am also happy to note that the action of Mr. Supi Kofi Kwayere
and his lawyer to challenge the constitutionality of the defunct Governing
Council of UEW has largely contributed to a situation where government is in
the process of constituting the Governing Councils of all Tertiary
Institutions/Universities in the country. That of UEW has recently been
inaugurated and is being chaired by Prof. Emmanuel Nicholas Abakah. Let’s take
a cue from this development and remain CITIZENS rather than a spectators.
Assalamu alaikum
Iddi Muhayu-Deen
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