A group of concerned lecturers from public universities in Ghana has called on the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to urgently commission an independent review of the promotion of Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdullai, Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The lecturers’ call follows revelations from a Right to Information request submitted by a member of the public, which detailed the initial denial of Prof. Jinapor Abdullai’s promotion at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), and the subsequent appeal that was later granted.
In a statement, the lecturers said the case raises broader concerns about transparency, procedural fairness, and the integrity of academic promotion processes in Ghana.
“While the university initially suggested that regulatory influence may have played a role in the promotion, revised information has since been provided to clarify earlier statements. The circumstances surrounding these revisions require independent scrutiny to ensure public trust is maintained,” the statement read in part.
They highlighted concerns over the independence of university decision-making, particularly as Prof. Jinapor now heads GTEC, the body under whose guidance UEW operates. Questions have also been raised about the consistency and transparency of promotion procedures at UEW, including the number of assessors, assessment outcomes, criteria applied, and the robustness of quality-assurance systems for verifying scholarly standards.
The lecturers urged the Minister of Education to establish an independent committee to review the processes, documentation, and circumstances surrounding the promotion, determine whether proper procedures were followed, and ensure decision-making was free from internal or external influence.
They also called for the committee’s findings to be published to reinforce accountability, fairness, and trust in the governance of Ghana’s tertiary institutions.
The lecturers stressed that promoting clarity and fairness in academic promotions is essential, particularly at a time of heightened public scrutiny of academic standards and regulatory oversight.
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Read the full statement below: