General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, is laying blame at the doorstep of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the ongoing saga at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW).
According to him, by ignoring the date set by the Supreme Court for ruling on the University of Education's attempt to dissolve the Council, and going ahead to swear-in a new Vice Chancellor, suggests his involvement per the “captain planet” style he adopted in the dissolution of KNUST Governing Council and the removal of the Vice Chancellor.
“What happened at University of Education, Winneba clearly shows that the rampage that occurred on KNUST campus where the Governing Council was dissolved and the Vice-Chancellor made to step aside, had the tacit support of Nana Addo. The MP at Winneba (Efutu MP, Hon Afenyo-Markin) and some NPP activists were used as the attack-dogs to frustrate the University authorities. They also schemed to have the case assigned to a local judge who gave a bad ruling and now it has to take the Supreme Court to reverse it,” he asserted on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show on Thursday.
Asiedu Nketiah’s comment was borne out of the fact that the governing council of the University of Education, Winneba, dismissed five principal officers of the institution a couple of months ago.
The five are the Vice-Chancellor who was serving a suspension, Professor Mawutor Avoke, Finance Officer, Dr. Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie, Daniel Tetteh, Mary Dzimey and Frank Owusu Boateng.
A Winneba High Court in 2017 ordered Professor Mawutor Avoke, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council is determined.
However, before the substantive claims were looked into, the University, through its lawyers, applied to the court to dismiss the suit on the three counts, but the application was dismissed.
The High Court subsequently found Professor Avoke, and the school’s Finance Officer, Dr. Theopholus Senyo Ackorlie, guilty of procurement and other financial irregularities.
To General Mosquito, as he is known in social circles, President Akufo-Addo, considered as a renowned lawyer, has embarrassed himself with the way he stormed the campus of KNUST to usurp the powers of the Governing Council, since a military government would not even have acted the way he did.
“The way the government handled the KNUST saga was wrong . . . but it has become the norm of this Akufo-Addo government to always interfere in the academic freedom of independent university governing councils. This government does not allow independent institutions to stand on their own."
“ . . Nana Addo behaves as if he is ‘captain planet' appearing at every given opportunity to cause destruction. It is part of the reasons why his government is not doing well in this country,” he added.
He wondered if the eyes of a Presidential Candidate sees differently immediately the person becomes President on account of Akufo-Addo's conduct.
“Is it not the same Nana Addo who campaigned on and championed the rule of law? How could he have sworn-in another Vice Chancellor to head UEW when the case was before the Supreme Court and the date for the ruling was made known to him? Now, the Supreme Court has knocked him down unanimously by ruling against his decision. How is he going to tell the new VC he swore-in to step aside for the old VC to continue his work?” he quizzed.
He therefore warned the President against any attempt to reverse the ruling of the Supreme Court on the UEW case by appointing more judges at the Supreme Court as Ghanaians are watching him keenly.
“These two incidents the President interfered with indicate that his government does not believe in academic freedom but mere political antics. I am proposing that in the next national awards, one should be given to the President as someone who breaks down institutions . . . they want to subject everything to the wrong exercise of the President’s power,” he stated.
General Mosquito further catalogued a number of public institutions with independent powers that President Akufo-Addo has destroyed since he assumed the mantle of leadership.
" . . the Bank of Ghana’s independence has been destroyed by sacking the Governor and his deputies . . . the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson, Madam Charlotte Osei and her deputies sacked . . . the President also nearly succeeded in having the Auditor-General relieved of his post but for the timely intervention of the general public . . . and now he has turned his attention to the Universities, seeking to sack Vice Chancellors and dissolve their Governing Councils," he enumerated.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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You and I know very well that there is not an iota of truth in what you have said so far. It is a mere wishful thinking based on frustration, mischief and baseless propaganda symptomatic of NDC's fit of hysteria, coughing lies here and there all over the place in the name of Opposition. Forgetting that the excesses of same make the NDC as opposition Party impotent, incompetent and counterproductive in his core mandate, as a potential Government of better alternative policies as against that of the Ruling Party. I wished NDC would keep her own counsel, which would reflect their choice of a Flagbearer capable of transforming the whole mindset of the Party of its current poor and counterproductive performance, as an opposition party akin to the true principles of democracy.
No serious party will vote for this man as a general secretary, Tweaaa Tupac general mosquito, is all because the NDC don’t have the men
No wonder they say they will not vote for you again, the. Concert party j0kes are too much
Concert paa nie
Has NDC won elections in Ghasna before? NDC is a day dreaming party. Their days are over. The blood of The army officers, judges, Arkaah, DeGraft Johnson, Atta Mils are on their hands and that Mother Ghana will never allow NDC a come back. Rawlings used his military patapaa to overthrow a constitunally mandated President Hilla Limann and forced himself on Ghanaians that is why NDC could win elctions and electoral commission helped Atta Mills into power in 2009. As for Mahama, he has not been destined to be a president. If he had not eliminated Atta Mills, He wouldn't have been a president. The equation is, "NO NDC LEADER IS DESTINED TO BE A PRESIDENT" All their leaders forced themselves on Ghanaians and that their time is long past and gone. The land of Ghana is not even prepared to receive NDC on it again because opf the destruction they caused to the land with felling of trees and galamsey. Mark my word, NDC will be a history. NDC did not only destroy the economy, they killed and has too much blood on their heads and hands they will soon be a forgotten story.
It is about time the media stop interviewing this shallow minded man for us to our peace.
You shouldn't be surprised. Who overthrew constitutionally elected Afoko? Who overthrew constitutionally elected Agyapong? The veto goes on electoral commissioner, BOG governor, and so on and so forth. As you have pretended not to see, very soon they will be coming for you. The evil that men do lives ...
When will you npp chop chop boys say anything sensible hmm. You will wake up in opposition. Are we not suppose to live together in harmony? So why sack everyone that was appointed by your predecessor? Old men dont do this. Does our president attend a Church? Hmm God will surely judge. I know the Akan dogs will descend on me but I don't care
This 1doit and his NDC bunch of capok-headed l00ters are yet to come to the realization that attacking Nana Addo for political advantage is a fruitless endeavor. Notwithstanding all their vicious attacks prior to 2016 elections, ghanaians punished them with a classic defeat. Fortunately, they are still in their incompetent mode and spewing the same stuff. Age and wisdom are not related after all!
I wonder why the media gives so much publicity to this weasel? Can't u use editorial discretion. All this is an attempt to divert our attention from Mahama bodyguard who beat up the journalist. Mr General secretary address that one.