UG-UTAG Opposes Public Universities Bill

The University of Ghana (UG) branch of the University Teacher Association of Ghana (UTAG) says its position on the public universities bill remains unchanged.
According UTAG it has noted in a resolution that its position that the Public Universities Bill be rejected on grounds of its unconstitutionality, impracticability and the likelihood of its application creating more problems than good, remains unchanged.

In a resolution dated June 12, 2020, UG-UTAG dissociated itself from the position of the national officers of UTAG that the Bill be passed into law subject to the recommendations of UTAG.

The resolution document was jointly signed by Dr Samuel Nilirmi Nkumbaan, President of UG-UTAG and Dr Bethel Kwansa-Bentum, Secretary, UG-UTAG.

According to the resolution, the initial position of UG-UTAG, reflected in the memorandum submitted to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, and which called for the rejection of the public university bill on grounds of unconstitutionality, impracticality and the likelihood that the application of the Bill and law will create more problems than it intends to resolve, remain unchanged.

It added that the proposed bill does not seek to address any gap in the existing governing public universities, saying “instead, the bill will allow unnecessary government interference in the affairs of public universities.

Meanwhile, UG-UTAG, says the utterances of the National President suggest that he is not for carrying out the mandate of the public universities.

By Melvin Tarlue