A high-powered delegation of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) is expected to meet the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia today, Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
The meeting is to discuss the amendment of some portions of the Public University Bill (PUB) which has been re-laid before Parliament.
A section of the bill seeks to effectively make the President the head of all public universities, by nominating the chancellor, chairperson of the University Council and appoint the majority of Council members.
Also, it gives authority to the Minister of Education to give directives on matters of policy, with which public universities shall comply.
Speaking to Citi News in Cape Coast, the President of the University of Cape Coast Branch of UTAG, Dr. Bert Boadi Kusi, emphasized that the bill as laid before Parliament lacks transparency because UTAG has not been given the opportunity to peruse the document.
“Following the recent releases and agitations, a high-powered delegation meeting has been called today, Wednesday, December 16, 2020, with the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, and we are hoping that we would be able to reach some level of consensus but our position as UTAG remains clear, and it is that if we still have all those controversial aspects of the bill then, obviously, there would be resistance.”
Parliament on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, approved the Public University Bill at the second reading stage.
The Bill which was withdrawn and re-laid in the House in November seeks to harmonise the structures for the administration of public universities.
UTAG threatens to run to Supreme Court
The Association had earlier expressed its disappointment in the continued moves to pass the Public University Bill.
It said the developments with the Bill are being done on the blindside of the association, a week before Parliament’s recess.
