General Consultation on the University Bill to Ensure Peace on Campus – from Mr. Otumfuo to the Government

General News of Saturday, July 27, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-07-27

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II urged the government to conduct extensive consultation before introducing the bill on the university to parliament.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is also Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology of Kwame Nkrumah (KNUST), said the expanded consultations and the integration of the views of all stakeholders in the draft of The law would guarantee peace and tranquility on the various university campuses of the country.

"The public's interest in the bill should provide a strong incentive for the government to take into account the divergent views expressed by key stakeholders such as the Vice Chancellors of Ghana, the Association of Ghana University professors and Convocation members at all public universities, "he said.

"Ultimately, the concerns and interests of all key stakeholders must be considered as part of the final project for the sake of harmony and industrial peace on campus. All stakeholders must respect the views of others and avoid confrontation and consolidation of positions on the bill. "

"I urge the government to allow broader and broader consultations to eliminate all the shadows before the bill is submitted to Parliament," added the Chancellor, who s' expressed at a graduation ceremony at KNUST.

The government presents a new bill on universities to ensure the good management of public universities.

But stakeholders, including the Ghana University Teachers' Association (UTAG), have criticized some aspects of the bill.

Academics and opposition members have expressed concerns about some sections of the bill.

Among the clauses that caused them trouble, the President of Ghana will appoint five members out of the nine members who will form the university council, as well as the president of the council.

In addition, the bill gives the president the power to dissolve the university council, which will now have the power to appoint a chancellor.

The bill also gives effect to the university council to control the finances of the university and determine the allocation of funds.

At a graduation ceremony at the University of Professional Studies, President Akufo-Addo recently described the people who had expressed a different view and challenged the clauses of the bill as being "doers" wrong "and" hypocrites ".

In response, UTAG expressed dissatisfaction with the comments and said that it would continue to protest clauses deemed inappropriate to ensure its resolution prior to the introduction of the bill in Parliament.