Former President Jerry John Rawlings wants the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Rev. Father Professor Anthony Afful Broni to step aside to allow for investigations currently ongoing against him to be expedited.
There are reports that an investigative report put together by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), following allegations of impropriety against some staff of the university, indicted Rev. Afful Broni and the issue is being probed by some security agencies.
During the EOCO investigation, some of staff of the university were suspended over the issue including former Vice-Chancellor of UEW, Prof. Mawutor Avoke who was later exonerated.
According to the former president, although government has laid a road map to resolve the matter, little has been done about EOCO’s report on corruption charges against the current Vice-Chancellor.
Speaking at the 38th-anniversary celebration in commemoration of the 31st December Revolution in Winneba, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings said he expects the Governing Council of UEW to do the needful.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I intend to be brief but it will be unfair to conclude without touching on the case relating to social injustice and violation of the rights of some University of Education, Winneba staff by the Prof. Abakah-led Council. First of all, I commend the government for their prompt intervention by laying a roadmap for the peaceful resolution of the matter after I expressed my initial concerns. From the records of EOCO and other state agencies, the affected individuals were exonerated as there was no evidence of misconduct established against them. Ironically the current Vice-Chancellor who was indicted in the same report still remains at post. Notwithstanding, the effort of government towards immediate resolution, no significant progress has been made after more than three months. More than 20 dismissed staff at the UEW are going through discontent and pain. I hope this important matter is given the urgency and attention that is required,” he said.
“I understand there are investigations ongoing regarding the current Vice-Chancellor. It will be appropriate for the Council to request that he steps aside for fairness to prevail as has been the practice with other similar circumstances in the past. We should not allow the distortions of our history to continue. Everyone here who claims to be an adherent of the decade that stopped the socio-political decay in our country must recognize the calculated efforts to destroy the legacy that we all laid. Those who have allowed corruption to rear its ugly head, and permitted it to fester, want to belittle the discipline, the law and order we introduced into this country, so they can justify their corrupt tendencies,” he added
University of Education Impasse
Earlier this year, former President Jerry John Rawlings wrote a letter to the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah to demand justice for the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Mawutor Avoke, following his exoneration by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The former President in the letter stated that the non-resolution of the matter involving Prof. Avoke and some five others was unjust.
Background
The Member of Parliament for Efutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in May 2017 petitioned EOCO through the Education Minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, with 13 allegations against some principal officers of the University.
The officers included; former Vice-Chancellor Prof Mawutor Avoke, former Registrar Akwaah-Mensah and Former Head of Finance, Theophilus Senyo Akorlie.
The investigations concluded that the University complied with the provisions of the Public Procurement Authority Act as amended in its award of contracts to Sparkx Ghana Limited for five distinct projects.
Similarly, it concluded that the University followed due process when it selected Paa Badu Construction Limited for the construction of a 2000-Bed Hostel and another to C-Deck Limited for the construction of a clinic extension at Winneba as well as a Basic School at Kumasi.
EOCO in its report, also noted that there was no evidence to establish any act of impropriety against the Officers for a 3 percent investment paid to the management staff of the University.
It also dismissed Mr. Afenyo’s allegation that the University failed to use national competitive tendering in the purchase of 8 pick-up trucks which cost the Institution eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis.
EOCO concluded in its report that the allegations were unfounded, baseless and untrue.
Prof. Avoke who was dismissed by the UEW’s Governing Council had on several occasions attempted to take back his previous position but to no avail.
Although Afenyo Markin had also written to the Governing Council to reinstate Avoke, the Council is yet to adhere to such advice.
