A bill on a premature public university – Baako



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The editor of the New Crusading Guide is baffled by some of the comments made about the public college bill.

Kweku Baako, calling them premature, believes these comments are useless, especially when the bill is still in its preliminary stages and is likely to change.

Speaking in the news badysis program of MultiTv / FM Newsfile on Saturday, the veteran journalist said the government could not impose any guidelines to universities. If possible, their suggestions would not have been solicited.

"At this point, I understand that this bill has been communicated or handed over to immediate stakeholders – vice chancellors, UTAG and other related unions – for their contribution, so that those who sent it can, together project that will go to the Cabinet before Parliament.

"This is the stage where we are – the stage of pre-legislation. I have absolutely nothing against the critics, but I think at this point, the most important thing that policy makers are looking for is the contribution of immediate stakeholders and, in the end, you are expect the processes they go through to lead to a redefined project. Bill. So there is no cause for alarm, it is a "premature ejaculation", "he said.

Related: Four public universities to rename in a new bill

Among other things, the bill gives the president the power to appoint five of the nine members who will make up the university board of directors. This includes the president.

According to the bill, the president also has the power to dissolve the council in case of emergency and the unions must appoint only one representative per rotation to replace him at each cycle.

This left many actors unhappy. Ransford Gyampo, professor of political science at the University of Ghana, sees this as a measure that will stifle academic freedom.

"According to the bill I read, the government is seeking to reduce the composition of public college boards from 15 to nine on average.

"With this number, the government wants to name more people than other voters. This is the first step in mortgaging the independence and freedom of academic institutions, "said Professor Gyampo.

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has completely rejected the bill that he describes as unclear.

His Vice-Chancellor, in a letter to the government, said: "The basic premise of a harmonized law on public universities is false, as it seeks to give all public universities the same appearance".

Some members of the minority are also dissatisfied with the bill. A deputy from north Tongu, who served as deputy minister of education under the Mahama government, said the bill's provisions described "a desperate authoritarian program aimed at undermining the pillars of the government." isolation and to blatantly interfere with the management of our institutions of higher education violation of Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana ".

He baderted that the proposal would successfully place the university boards and, by logical extension, the entire university under political control.

But Baako said the current intent of the bill could not be final.

To say the least, he believes that the public discourse on the issue has highlighted certain details that can be examined before an absolute decision is made.

For him, unless the proposed bill removes diversity in public universities, what he describes as "the making of conspiracy theories and suspicions" is misplaced.

Certainly the government will take the commitments of stakeholders seriously, but added that the reaction and verdicts on the details of the bill were excessive.

-Myjoyonline

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