KNUST: Gov’t ‘undemocratic’ on Governing Council constitution -TEWU

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) chapter
of the Teachers and Educational Workers (TEWU) is yet to come to terms
with government’s decision not to accept its representative onto the
yet-to-be-reconstituted KNUST governing council.

Last Friday, it emerged that government’s attempt to force the
University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and Teachers and
Education Workers Union (TEWU) at KNUST to present entirely new
representatives to the school’s new governing council on Friday, led to a
postponement of the swearing-in ceremony for the new council.

Government insisted that it would not present its nominees for the new
council to be inaugurated until the other representing unions change
their nominees.

But, speaking on Eyewitness News on Friday, Charles
Arthur, President of the KNUST TEWU wondered why a
democratically-elected party like the NPP will not allow a union to
elect its own representative to the governing council.

“Why did the NPP not change Nana Addo as a presidential
candidate. They took him as a candidate three times before he won the
presidency for them. They had the right and liberty to do that and they
exercised that under the constitution. A democratically elected person
and they have done that? They have come through democratically and they
want to be undemocratic.”

“Should the NPP tell us who should represent TEWU on the university
council, when the law prescribes how this is done ever since. Even the
military regime did not approach us in that way”, he stressed.

KNUST: Constitution of Council fails as gov’t clashes with UTAG, TEWU

The government, after a high-level meeting with the Asantehene,
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who is also the Chancellor of KNUST agreed that
all representing groups on the KNUST governing council would present
their nominees for a new governing council to be inaugurated yesterday
[Friday] but that could not happen.

Vice President of KNUST-UTAG, Charles Marfo disclosed that government
made the proposal at an earlier meeting with UTAG but after opposition
from the Association, both parties agreed that the proposal was not
feasible.

He indicated that UTAG cannot explain government’s insistence for an
entirely new representative but the Association cannot be forced to
kowtow to government’s demands.

Government asked the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST), the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, to
take steps to reconstitute a new Governing Council in accordance with the institution’s relevant statutes and laws.

The decision came hours after the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Kwasi Obiri Danso, was asked to step aside and hand over to the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

An initial seven-member interim committee was tasked to manage KNUST after the school was shut down indefinitely following violent student protests.

Representatives of the University Teachers Association (UTAG), and
the Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (TEWU) at KNUST, were later added to the interim council after opposing it.

They however rejected the council entirely, insisting that the old council should be restored.