UEW Closure: UTAG begins nationwide strike

The strike is to ensure that the matter which resulted in a strike action by lecturers on that campus is addressed

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has directed its members nationwide to withdraw their teaching services from today, September 18, 2017, in solidarity with their counterparts at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW).

The strike is to ensure that the matter which resulted in a strike action by lecturers on that campus is addressed.

Lecturers of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) have since July this year laid down their tools after a Winneba High Court ordered the Vice Chancellor and the Chief Finance Officer to hand over to the Pro-Vice Chancellor.

READ MORE: Shutdown of University of Education is an attack on academic freedom - UTAG

In a statement signed by its National President, Dr Harry K. Agbanu, "It is our firm belief that the issue at the UEW is an attack on academic freedom and thus affects all public universities in Ghana."

UTAG in its statement said UTAG gave a one-week ultimatum to all stakeholders to resolve the issue, indicating that the situation after the ultimatum would inform NEC’s decision to review its position at the upcoming UTAG Congress to be held on September 22, 2017.

READ ALSO: UTAG gives government ultimatum to constitute university councils

The High Court in Winneba had, on July 14, 2017, ordered the Vice-Chancellor of the UEW, Professor Mawutor Avokeh, and the Finance Officer to step aside until a case brought against them before the court that the two were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council was resolved.

The UEW branch of UTAG has been on strike since July 2017 after the court’s directives.

The UTAG statement described the court directive as "an attack on academic freedom, and thus affects all public universities in Ghana."

It, however, appealed to all its members to "diligently perform all other duties placed on them by their appointments".

The strike is to ensure that the matter which resulted in a strike action by lecturers on that campus is addressed Read Full Story