The concerned staff of the Bolgatanga Technical University through a press conference at the forecourt of the university is calling on president John Dramani Mahama to remove the university’s council chairman Dr. Bishop Akolgo of a series of alleged misconduct and violations of the technical university Act, 2016 ( Act 922).
These concerns of the concerned staff of the university comes after the setting up of a five member committee to investigate the vice Chancellor of an alleged procurement breaches and financial mismanagement of GHC 27 million for the supply of computers, furniture, printers and other items.
According to the concerned staff, since the assumption of Dr. Bishop Akolgo as the council Chairman of the university, his administration has been characterized by actions that have undermined institutional integrity, academic freedom, a conducive work environment, and the collaborative spirit required for the discharge of their core mandate.
“The chairman has repeatedly overstepped the bounds of his office by interfering in the day-to-day management of the University, despite the fact that the governing Council’s role is primarily supervisory and strategic. He has usurped the functions of the Vice Chancellor and other principal officers which includes directly issuing directives to academic and non-academic staff without informing the vice Chancellor, holding meetings with staff members without the knowledge of the Vice- Chancellor, bypassing of the University’s established management structure, thereby creating a parrel power structure and demoralizing the administration, annexing the Vice- Chancellor’s official vehicle and driver for personal use without due process”
Some of the grounds for the removal of the Council Chairman includes the Unilateral Decisions without Council Consensus, Unhealthy Engagement with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission ( GTEC), Mission to Remove the Vice- Chancellor, Disregard for Due process and Established Procedures, Breakdown of Peace and Industrial Harmony and Wasteful Expenditure by the Council to Numerous Unproductive Meetings.
The Concerned Staff of the University has given government within two weeks to meet the following demands with delay; Dr. Bishop Akolgo should be removed from his position as the Council’s Chairman and Dissolve the current Governing Council to restore stability and ensure adherence to the rule of law, academic freedom and collective responsibility.