The seeming tension at the University of Education Winneba (UEW) is far from over as a Senior Staff of UEW has sued the university and its Vice-Chancellor, Anthony Afful-Broni.
Kingsley Amoakwah, an accountant by profession and Chairman of the Senior Staff Association Union is seeking an order restraining Afful-Broni from “holding himself out as the Vice-Chancellor or performing any such functions in that capacity at UEW.”
He is also seeking an order “restraining Afful-Broni from continuously interfering in the administration of Professor Mawutor Avoke, the legitimate Vice-Chancellor of UEW.”
Kingsley Amoakwah, also in his writ filed before a Winneba High Court and sighted by citinewsroom.com, is asking the court to stop “Afful-Broni, his assigns, agents, or any person through him from walking or driving within the precincts of the main administration block of UEW where Professor Mawutor Avoke’s office is located.”
“An order directing the Winneba District Police Commander to provide adequate police protection to enable Professor Avoke to perform his duties as Vice-Chancellor without any fear of attack from hoodlums and thugs who may threaten his life. An order directing the Winneba District Police Commander and the Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu Municipal Assembly to collaborate and ensure a peaceful environment on all campuses of UEW in Winneba.”
He also wants a declaration that an attempt by the Governing Council of UEW to ignore the findings in a report by Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) report is “unjust, illegal, null and void.”
Background
The Winneba High Court in 2017 ordered Prof Avoke, to step aside until a case brought against him and the University’s Governing Council was determined.
The Governing Council subsequently dismissed Avoke and replaced him with Prof. Afful-Broni.
Lawyers for Prof. Avoke, in November 2018, wrote a letter to the school’s Governing Council directing it to prepare the office of their client to enable him to resume following his supposed exoneration by the Supreme Court.
The lawyers also wanted the same accord to be extended to former Finance Officer of the University, Dr. Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie.
But the request was shot down.
The governing council, however, threw its support behind Prof. Afful-Broni despite accusations of victimization, injustice and other actions said to have brought the image of the university into disrepute.
‘I’m ready to work with you, put your bias aside’ – Avoke to UEW VC, others
Prof. Mawutor Avoke later at a press conference in April 2019 demanded an immediate reinstatement.
He also wanted the feuding factions at the school to unite and resolve their differences in the interest of the university.
He said he was ready to work together with the current VC, Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni and the Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Prof. Emmanuel Abekah but first, they should rise above their parochial interest to enable them work for the good of the institution.
“I have demonstrated that I am able to work with every category of people. I appointed Afful Broni as a pro-vice chancellor in spite of what has happened. I have worked with Prof. Abeka before. The question is whether they are willing to work with me. I have demonstrated that I am a consensus builder and I have the unlimited capacity to bounce and work with any category of people.”
“It is not about me, it is about the corporate social agenda of the University. I have indicated that the University is bigger than any of us and therefore we must put our prejudices and biases outside and come together as a group and put the university forward”, he added.
Prof. Avoke won’t be reinstated
The Management of the University Of Education Winneba (UEW) subsequently indicated that Prof. Mawutor Avoke will not be reinstated.
According to the University, although an Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) report exonerated him, the decision for his dismissal was determined by the institution’s Governing Council.
In an interview with Citi News, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of UEW, Ernest Azutiga welcomed Prof Avoke’s call to work with all and sundry for peace to prevail in the university but shot down his reinstatement request.
“On his call to work with everyone to bring peace to the institution, I think it is in the right direction because that is what management and Council are working towards; bringing peace and reconciliation into the institution. He also asked that he should be reinstated, but the question will be what will be the basis for the reinstatement. What I gather from his presser is that he has been exonerated by EOCO.”
“There was a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the Winneba High Court ruling on him. The situation is that in that very Supreme Court ruling the judges made it clear that the decision to dismiss him was not based on EOCO reports. In fact, UEW had not made any formal complaints to EOCO. Based on the arguments he is making it will be impossible to reinstate him,” the PRO added.
Source: citinewsroom.com
