The University Teachers Association of Ghana, University of Ghana chapter (UTAG-UG), has called for the removal of the leadership of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), accusing the Commission’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, of incompetence, abuse of authority, and actions that undermine tertiary education governance.
In a statement issued on January 19, 2026, UTAG-UG said the leadership of GTEC has consistently acted outside its mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), thereby weakening institutional autonomy and damaging staff morale across public universities.
The association argued that instead of focusing on its core responsibilities—improving quality, access, governance, and accountability—GTEC has engaged in what it described as tangential and sometimes frivolous activities, while neglecting deeper structural challenges such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and deteriorating conditions of service for lecturers.
UTAG-UG questioned whether GTEC has established clear benchmarks for student-to-lecturer ratios, infrastructure standards, and enforcement mechanisms, warning that the absence of such measures has contributed to a decline in the quality of tertiary education.
The group also accused the Commission of interfering in university governance, citing the removal of a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and questioning which provision of Act 1023 authorises such intervention.
According to UTAG-UG, governing councils have been sidelined, vice-chancellors weakened, and lawful institutional decisions overturned without proper legal justification.
One of the major concerns raised was a GTEC directive requiring lecturers to retire immediately upon attaining 60 years, rather than at the end of the academic year under the rollover system.
UTAG-UG warned that the directive risks disrupting teaching, supervision, and examinations, particularly when retirements occur mid-semester.
The association further criticised a follow-up directive requesting submissions for post-retirement contracts, arguing that such contracts form part of negotiated conditions of service and cannot be unilaterally altered by GTEC.
UTAG-UG also highlighted recruitment restrictions imposed over the past three years, noting that GTEC’s refusal to grant clearance to replace retiring or deceased staff has increased workloads, undermined staff welfare, and compromised educational quality, while failing to adequately advocate for universities.
It also recalled an incident at the University of Ghana where GTEC reacted to a false media report on fee increases and threatened sanctions without first verifying the information with university management—an action UTAG-UG described as reckless and damaging to public confidence.
According to the association, these actions represent a pattern of administrative overreach that threatens academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the long-term development of Ghana’s tertiary education system.
As part of its demands, UTAG-UG has given Prof. Jinapor Abdulai and Prof. Ocloo until January 31, 2026, to resign honourably.
The association warned that failure to comply would result in a petition to the Chief of Staff and possible industrial action.
UTAG-UG is also calling for the immediate passage of a Legislative Instrument to guide the implementation of Act 1023 to prevent future abuse of authority within GTEC.
The statement, signed by UTAG-UG President Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison and Secretary Dr. Godfred B. Hagan, urged other UTAG branches and tertiary institutions to join what it described as a collective effort to restore sanity, accountability, and hope in Ghana’s public tertiary education system.
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