UTAG asks members to calm down as parliament suspends PUB All processes leading to the passage of the Public Universities Bills (PUB) has been suspended. This follows a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) with the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Wednesday, 16 December 2020. In a statement issued by UTAG and co-signed by its National President, Prof Charles Marfo and its National Secretary, Dr Eric K.K. Abavare, the association of university lecturers stated that the meeting was held to “express our disgust with the rush in sending the bill to Parliament without completing the agreed stakeholder engagements”.
Public Universities Bill halted after Bawumia’s intervention Wed, 16 Dec 2020
The government has placed ice on the controversial Public Universities Bill (PUB) for now after Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, met with the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) among others.
Members of academia have been against the bill, arguing it curtails academic freedom and autonomy of public universities.
The Chairman of the Select Committee on Education in Parliament, William Quaitoo, said until other stakeholders give their input the bill will not return to the House.
UTAG has expressed satisfaction with the decision.
“At the meeting, the Vice President, on behalf of Government, upheld the directive of the Speaker of Parliament that the Parliamentary Select Committee of Education should carry out through stakeholder engagements and report back to Parliament. Therefore, all processes leading to the passage of the PUB has been halted for now.
Prof Atuguba threatens to lead impeachment against UTAG leaders over Public Universities Bill
Respected law professor, Raymond Atuguba, has written a strongly-worded letter to his colleagues at the University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) about the need to intensify resistance against the controversial Public Universities Bill (PUB).
According to Raymond Atuguba, who is an Associate Professor and Dean, School of Law of the University of Ghana, reliable information he has received suggests that the bill could be passed into law in the next 24 to 72 hours, or sooner.
“Unless UTAG (local and national) are able to work through the night today [Thursday, December 16, 2020], to provide a ROADMAP by tomorrow morning, establishing a clear PATHWAY for stopping the passage of the PUB, I will be in the lead to ensure their impeachment and more.
Completely withdraw Public Universities Bill — Africa Education Watch modernghana.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from modernghana.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
I challenge anyone to show me one good thing about Public Universities Bill – Prof Atuguba
An Associate Professor and Dean of the University of Ghana law school, Raymond Atuguba, has thrown a challenge to anyone willing to publicly point out a single good thing that the Public Universities Bill will bring to the academia.
Prof Atuguba told GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, that after reading all 51 clauses of the Bill, he is convinced that the Bill, if operationalised, will spell doom for academic freedom in Ghana.
The respected law professor had earlier indicated in an article to members of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) that government is determined to pass the bill very soon despite the resistance from the academia.