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President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Harry Agbanu has expressed sadness over an alleged terms of settlement in the case challenging the legitimacy of the University of Education, Winneba’s Governing Council.

The plaintiff, Supi Kofi Kwayera, wants the Pro. Vice Chancellor of the university to be appointed as the substantive Vice Chancellor to serve the remaining term of office, according to a communique reportedly from his lawyer, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

As part of the settlement, the plaintiff also wants the Finance Officer to be relieved of his duty and a new officer appointed, “giving consideration to a native of Winneba or Central Region"

Apart from that "natives and persons permanently residence in Winneba should be given the first choice in employment as casual labour on the construction sites"

However, during an interview on Citi Eyewitness news, Friday, the President of UTAG expressed disappointment over the terms of settlement especially the portion which demands that natives of Winneba should be given priority in the University when it comes to employment.

"I am just sad as a Ghanaian. I am ashamed as a Ghanaian that this is the state that we have descended in as a country. I'm sad that this is where we have got to as a country and I think we should blame ourselves; all of us... politicians, academicians; all of us as a country must now our heads in shame. Today is a day of shame.... because the University is sited in the village 20% of the employees of that university must come from the village...where are we going? Are others not Ghanaians? Where are we going with this kind of attitude as Ghanaians? Is this how we are going to develop?" he queried.

Meanwhile, lawyer Afenyo-Markin has described the terms of settlement as 'fake'.

Speaking in an interview on Citi FM, he said he had not issued any document and that “it is a strategy being employed by some individuals who want to muddy the waters....not even a draft document has been sent or exchanged. The UTAG local union had an election, with all its questionable characteristics and I am sure that somebody threw in this to achieve a certain purpose. It (the propsoed settlement) is fake. It couldn’t have been the case” 

Background to the case

In July this year, a High Court in Winneba ordered the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, to step aside until a case brought against him is determined. The court order also affected the school’s Finance Officer.

The orders were part of the reliefs granted for the interlocutory injunction sought by the plaintiff, Kofi Kwayera, in the case brought against the University which insisted that the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council.

The Court also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Education to reconstitute the governing council of the University of Education, Winneba.

The Court thus ordered the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University, Rev Fr Afful-Broni, to act in the position of the VC, to allow the day-to-day administration of the institution to continue.