The University of Education, Winneba has reinstated three principal staff of the university who were dismissed last month. Professor Ephraim Avea Nsoh, former Upper East Regional Minister and Principal of the College of Languages Education at Ajumako, Dr. Frimpong Kaakyire Duku who is the local President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, a former Alumni President who was representing the alumni on the University Council were dismissed on March 7 for alleged acts of misconduct. But the Governing Council of the University that took the decision has made a reconciliatory U-turn, stating in an April 3 statement that the three have been pardoned. They have been reinstated to their various ranks in the University effective Thursday, 4th April, 2019, the statement signed by Chairman of the University Council, Prof. Emmanuel Nicholas Abakah said. Dr. Kaakyire Duku was dismissed because his conduct in respect of a court action he initiated, together with six other staff, according to the University, showed that he did not exhaust the internal structures of the University for settling dispute, before he proceeded to court and used the institutional time to go to court without seeking official permission. Dr Sarpong on his part was dismissed based on an allegation that, he showed a sign of disrespect to the University Council, by deciding to exclude himself from a Council meeting, which he said was about taking a decision he was not comfortable with. For Prof Avea Nsoh, his charge was that he has not been cooperating with other management members. Their dismissal brought uneasy calm on campus, causing students to protest which led to the closure of the University on March 14. The action of the University incurred the wrath of University Teachers Association of Ghana as well as some old students of the school who demanded the resignation of the Vice Chancellor as well as reinstatement of the lecturers. The Chairman of Governing Council said his outfit finds the current state of affairs very worrying on the following grounds:
- The current state of affairs is attracting negative reportage for the University on the media landscape, which does not augur well for institutional branding and
- The Governing Council acknowledges that it has the ultimate responsibility to ensuring that lasting peaceful environment for academic work is established on our campuses.
“On account of the above, the Governing Council hereby reviews its disciplinary decisions of March 7, 2019, which affected three lecturers and pardons them accordingly.” It is not clear the fate of the about 20 staff who were either demoted or dismissed as a result of the happening on campus. Read also: UEW impasse: A sequential account of events leading to shutdown Source: editors.3news.com | Ghana
