The management at the University of Education, Winneba has justified the 2014 promotion of the school’s Governing Council Chair, Prof. E. N Abekah, from an associate professor to a professor in spite of the growing backlash.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has already called on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate a possible case of conflict of interest against Prof. Abekah.
They claim the Governing Council chair unduly used his authority to award himself the full professorship status. But the University maintains it followed due procedures in promoting the Council Chair.
The PRO of the University, Ernest Azutigah, said to Citi News due procedure was followed.
Prof. Abekah filed his application for promotion ten months prior, in line with regulations.
“As has been the convention of universities, your promotion takes effect from the time you put on your application and it was accepted. So that is the situation,” he explained.
In an earlier statement signed by Paul Osei Barima, the registrar of the University gave some background noting that the school reviewed to the notice of promotion before retirement from 12 months to six months in 2017.
The governing council said the revised position of 12 months’ notice, “was more disadvantageous than beneficial to the senior members in UEW.”
This reflected favourably for Prof Abakah, who was among four senior members that submitted their application for processing in 2013
“The records available indicated the Prof. E.N ABakah’s earlier application for promotion to the status of Full professor before his retirement in September 2014 was dated December 2013.”
He had submitted his application 10 months before his retirement, thus before the required six months notice, the statement also argued.
The university added Prof. Abakah recused himself from the meeting considering his promotion to professor, in response to the conflict of interest claims.
