General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, is laying blame at the doorstep of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the ongoing saga at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW).
According to him, by ignoring the date set by the Supreme Court for ruling on the University of Education's attempt to dissolve the Council, and going ahead to swear-in a new Vice Chancellor, suggests his involvement per the “captain planet” style he adopted in the dissolution of KNUST Governing Council and the removal of the Vice Chancellor.
“What happened at University of Education, Winneba clearly shows that the rampage that occurred on KNUST campus where the Governing Council was dissolved and the Vice-Chancellor made to step aside, had the tacit support of Nana Addo. The MP at Winneba (Efutu MP, Hon Afenyo-Markin) and some NPP activists were used as the attack-dogs to frustrate the University authorities. They also schemed to have the case assigned to a local judge who gave a bad ruling and now it has to take the Supreme Court to reverse it,” he asserted on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show on Thursday.
Asiedu Nketiah’s comment was borne out of the fact that the governing council of the University of Education, Winneba, dismissed five principal officers of the institution a couple of months ago.
The five are the Vice-Chancellor who was serving a suspension, Professor Mawutor Avoke, Finance Officer, Dr. Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie, Daniel Tetteh, Mary Dzimey and Frank Owusu Boateng.
A Winneba High Court in 2017 ordered Professor Mawutor Avoke, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.
However, before the substantive claims were looked into, the University, through its lawyers, applied to the court to dismiss the suit on the three counts, but the application was dismissed.
The High Court subsequently found Professor Avoke, and the school’s Finance Officer, Dr. Theopholus Senyo Ackorlie, guilty of procurement and other financial irregularities.
To General Mosquito, as he is known in social circles, President Akufo-Addo, considered as a renowned lawyer, has embarrassed himself with the way he stormed the campus of KNUST to usurp the powers of the Governing Council, since a military government would not even have acted the way he did.
“The way the government handled the KNUST saga was wrong . . . but it has become the norm of this Akufo-Addo government to always interfere in the academic freedom of independent university governing councils. This government does not allow independent institutions to stand on their own."
“ . . Nana Addo behaves as if he is ‘captain planet' appearing at every given opportunity to cause destruction. It is part of the reasons why his government is not doing well in this country,” he added.
He wondered if the eyes of a Presidential Candidate sees differently immediately the person becomes President on account of Akufo-Addo's conduct.
“Is it not the same Nana Addo who campaigned on and championed the rule of law? How could he have sworn-in another Vice Chancellor to head UEW when the case was before the Supreme Court and the date for the ruling was made known to him? Now, the Supreme Court has knocked him down unanimously by ruling against his decision. How is he going to tell the new VC he swore-in to step aside for the old VC to continue his work?” he quizzed.
He therefore warned the President against any attempt to reverse the ruling of the Supreme Court on the UEW case by appointing more judges at the Supreme Court as Ghanaians are watching him keenly.
“These two incidents the President interfered with indicate that his government does not believe in academic freedom but mere political antics. I am proposing that in the next national awards, one should be given to the President as someone who breaks down institutions . . . they want to subject everything to the wrong exercise of the President’s power,” he stated.
General Mosquito further catalogued a number of public institutions with independent powers that President Akufo-Addo has destroyed since he assumed the mantle of leadership.
" . . the Bank of Ghana’s independence has been destroyed by sacking the Governor and his deputies . . . the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson, Madam Charlotte Osei and her deputies sacked . . . the President also nearly succeeded in having the Auditor-General relieved of his post but for the timely intervention of the general public . . . and now he has turned his attention to the Universities, seeking to sack Vice Chancellors and dissolve their Governing Councils," he enumerated.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Asiedu Nketiah how many times have we advised you to stop jokking and get serious. The chair you are occupying is not a joke so be serious for ones. For Your Information captain planet does not cause destruction. In all our childhood days that we've watched captain planet he never come to cause destruction. he rather comes to save his people. So village were you born and which television were you watching? You are just a disgrace to your children and your party. *Fuuuulishh* wise up or be thrown in the gutters.
Indeed they are all self-seeking gr@@dy bastard5 and their NDC party who are not getting the usual ch0p, ch0p from this gov't of Npp .
i thought old age comes with wisdom but that is different from in man. always joking with serious issues.
Fuu..uuu..lish man. You don't say anything sensible. Jaguar joker of a serious party as a Gen Sec.
The only vindictive party and person in Ghana is John Mahama and his Incompetent NDC party who just came to gov't just to CREATE L00T AND SHARE AMONG THEMSELVES ONLY.
All those against this gov't are self seeking individuals and not people who want Ghana to move forward. These self-seeking individuals want a weak President who will champion a loose system so they can have their way to amass wealth whiles the masses suffer. The cheap means of making moneys are been blocked so all you hear is things are hard from these individuals.
THE DESPERATION OF THE OPPOSITION NDC IS JUST CLEAR FOR EVERY SENSIBLE GHANAIANS TO SEE. AFTER L00TING FROM THE STATE COFFERS FOR 8 YRS, WE WILL BE DUMP ***barred word*** TO BRING THIS WICKENDD AND 1NSENSITIVE NDC AND IT INCOMPETENT JOHN MAMAHA BACK. NDC BEY BEY OPPOSITION WILL FOREVER BE YOUR PORTIONS NDC.
Hmmmmmmm see the Joker of Party Sec. Aseidu Nkiata you and your John Mahama aka TIO "The Incompetent One" have not learnt a lesson after the Competent Nana Addo and his competent party kick your se1fish NDC out of gov't. This were some of the things NDC did to get you the 44.4%. and I asure NDc it is going to be worse 2020. I have not and will never, never regret voting for Nana Addo the caring and hardworking NPP gov't and will VOTE AGAIN FOR THE NPP.
IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL VICTIMS OF NPP WICKEDNESS TO MASS UP AND CAMPAIGN FOR NDC TO RETURN BCOS AS FOR THE NPP THEY DONT CARE A HOOT ABOUT UA...
FREE CAMPAIGN FOR THE NDC TO CERTAINLY BOUNCE BACK IN 2020