Member of Parliament for the Efutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has questioned the decision by the governing council of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) to reinstate only three of the lecturers who were sacked. According to him, the council was being selective in the implementation of the consensus reached between stakeholders at a meeting to resolve the impasse that resulted in the closure of the school on March 14. The MP told journalists Friday that the stakeholder meeting agreed that all lecturers who were either dismissed or demoted be reinstated, and others compensated in addition. But the council in April 3 reinstated only Prof. Ephraim Avea Nsoh, Principal of the College of Languages Education at Ajumako, Dr. Frimpong Kaakyire Duku, local President of the UTAG and Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong.
Their dismissal sparked series of protests which turned violent on March 14 when police fired teargas and warning shots to disperse the students who were pushing for their lecturers to be reinstated Several properties of the university were destroyed, causing the Central Regional Security Council to announce the closure of the Ajumako and Winneba campuses of the school to protect lives and properties. UTAG had said at least 24 staff in various categories have been dismissed by the council.
A statement issued on April 3 by the governing council to announce the reinstatement of the three officers described the decision as reconciliatory, and that the three have been pardoned for their offences based on which they were sacked But Mr Afenyo-Markin has expressed surprise that the agreement reached was not being implemented fully. “So far, the three who have been reinstated, as far as I know, that was not the advice, the consensus we all reached… The general understanding we all had was that all those who were affected will be reinstated”, he said. “The three that was reinstated was not in accord with the consensus we all reached”, he reiterated. He is thus demanding that what was agreed at the stakeholder meeting is implemented to the letter by reinstating all affected lecturers. By editors.3news.com
