UEW at the Crossroads

 

On Tuesday, 14th September, 2021, the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), is scheduled to meet for the first time following its inauguration about a month ago.

His Excellency, President Nana Akufo-Addo, exercising the executive authority conferred on him by the 1992 Constitution, and in pursuance of solidifying the peaceful and cordial relationship that exist between the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the main opposition party, thus the National Democratic Congress (NDC), overlooked all the overqualified people in the ‘elephant’ family, and opted for a known NDC traditional ruler, to Chair the UEW Council.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, is a down to earth peace builder, and ought to be commended for this unprecedented gesture.

It should be noted that two (2) petitions from some NPP Executives have been submitted to the authorities calling for the removal of the recently appointed UEW Council Chair; one petition has been withdrawn following the payment of an alleged bribe by a known crook, and an attempt to bribe the second petitioners to do same, backfired woefully!!

After having been duly constituted, the UEW Governing Council which is mandated by the University of Education, Winneba Act, 2004 (Act 672), to appoint the Vice-Chancellor (VC), ought to take steps to exercise this power, since the current VC’s tenure expires on 30th September, 2021.

A Search Committee for a VC was constitutionally put in place by the previous Council, and the said Committee’s Report is expected to be discussed at the Tuesday, 14th September, 2021 Council Meeting, and a Vice-Chancellor appointed at the end of the Council’s deliberations.

However, intelligence intercepted indicates that there are plans by some thieves to create chaos in UEW and ultimately give the administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo, a bad name for having appointed a known NDC member as UEW Council Chairman.

The first plan of this evil, wicked, vicious, arrogant and ungrateful lot, centers around removing the current VC from office, prematurely, in order to pave way for someone to Act until a new VC takes over on 1st October, 2021.

The other option mooted by this power drunk lot, is to rubbish the Search Committee’s Report, and confine it to the dustbin of history.

Therefore, a VC would not be appointed at the above scheduled Council Meeting, in which case from 1st October, 2021, someone who is so desperate to be VC, would then be appointed to Act until a substantive VC, is appointed! Hurray!!

An advert was placed worldwide for qualified individuals to apply for this upcoming vacant position in the office of VC of UEW. Anyone who failed to apply for this position which was advertised internationally, and is now moving heaven and earth to occupy this office, is very unreasonable and has nothing good to offer UEW in particular and the nation at large.
The main agenda of this miserable lot, is to loot the coffers of UEW and show some people where power lies. Period!!

Any attempt to subvert any constitutional process at the Tuesday, 14th September, 2021, UEW Governing Council Meeting, that is, either by way of illegally pushing the current VC out of office or rejecting the Search Committee’s Report, would be a panacea for unabated chaos in UEW! This would be resisted at all cost!!!

Notice is hereby given of the formation of the UEW Resistance Movement (UREM); a Pressure Group that aims at resisting all unconstitutional actions in UEW, by using all constitutional processes and procedures, including but not limited to; Press Statements, Peaceful Demonstrations, Civil Disobedience, etc to achieve its stated aims and objectives.

The clandestine meetings organized to discuss subverting the constitutional processes at UEW, are an open secret.
The offer of the payment of a huge amount of money to someone I will refer to as an ‘appointee’ for the time being, if he is able to get the UEW Governing Council to accomplish this unhealthy task, is well documented.

The question is, where are these people going to get money from to redeem this pledge, if not plundering the coffers of UEW? Why didn’t they carry the money to these meetings if they really meant business? The business of business is business, so they should have delivered the money upfront, in order to have a signed, sealed and delivered contract, to prove their sincerity.

The Governing Council has a constitutional duty to protect the funds of UEW, therefore, any attempt by Council to dance to the music of these heartless people, would clearly amount to a dereliction of duty!

Reasonable people expect the UEW Council, and especially the UEW Council Chairman, to protect and preserve the relative peace prevailing in UEW, following the chaos in the recent past which the previous Council was able to bring under control.

It would be disingenuous, highly irrational, for anyone to harbour any thought of subverting constitutional processes in UEW, in open defiance of His Excellency, President Nana Akufo-Addo’s peace maintenance and building efforts in the country!

A section of the public, especially those who have petitioned the authorities for the removal of the current Council Chairman, and other like-minded persons, would interpret such a move by Council to push the current VC out of office or reject the Search Committee’s Report, as a grand agenda of the Council Chairman to cause chaos in UEW in order to make the administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo, unpopular, and subsequently pave way for the NDC to win the 2024 Presidential Election.

The greedy ungrateful lot are reminded that, the resort to voodoo, shrines, and of late, visits to some mallams and pastors, are all in vain; they can’t do ‘fokoo’!! Insha Allah!

Anyone who myopically believes that they can silence me with the size of their stomach, is definitely afflicted with some strange mental disease, since the size of a person’s stomach, doesn’t scare me one bit.

Whether UEW falls into chaos and descends into anarchy, or continues to function peacefully, squarely rests on the head and shoulders of the UEW Governing Council, especially its decisions on the current VC and the Search Committee’a Report on Tuesday, 14th September, 2021!!

The grand scheme to sabotage the UEW 2021/2022 admissions, would be tackled next.

By Alhassan Salifu Bawah
(son of an upright peasant farmer)