UEW labour impasse:Govt officials should stop meddling in school's affairs-Prof Yankah

The Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah has adviced government officials to stop meddling in the affairs of the University of Education, Winneba(UEW). 

According to him, members of the government should know the distance between being a government official and a legislature. He said it was acceptable for members to express their enthusiasm in affairs of any university but there are limits. Over-enthusiasm ought to be curbed by members of government and other government-related officials interested in the affairs in the university.

He made this known at the National Summit on Tertiary Education and Enterprise Development at Koforidua in the Eastern Region on March 13, 2019.

''Members of government who are over enthusiastic in the affairs of the University of Winneba(UEW) should be adviced. They should know the separation of being a government official and a legislature. You can express your enthusiasm in the affairs of any university but there are limits, over-enthusiasm has to be curbed by the government. Indiscipline within the school needs to be addressed as swiftly as possible,''Prof Yankah stated.

Prof Yankah also said:''A multi-factor challenge, I don't think one single solution helps.We as a country, we as universities read the climate of peace, stability and tranquillity to enable serious academic work to be successfully prosecuted delivered. Any situation that disturbs the peaceful climate in which students operate, in which lecturers do research ought to be immediately arrested.Even in situation of stability, academic productivity is said not to be adequate . When the climate is unstable, people cannot concentrate, students doing demonstrations.

He also added that demonstrations are inevitable but it should not be part of students culture.

''Demonstrations are inevitable in one way or the other but not when they become part and parcel of students culture,'' Prof Yankah.

 

This follows chaos that has characterized the activities of operations of the University of Education(UEW), where students took on the streets the second time in two days to demonstrate and demand the reinstatement of the head of the department Dr. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong.

Mr. Osei Sarpong is one of the staff of UEW dismissed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Afful Broni. The University teachers have also asked the vice-chancellor to resign if he is unwilling to reverse the dismissals if not they will take action against him.

 

 

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