The Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) Chapter of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has dispelled reports suggesting their resistance to the imposition of an external individual as the new Vice Chancellor of the university.

The association says the footage of their peaceful demonstration was only a move to plead with the University’s Council to appoint an internal member of equal repute to the office.

On Tuesday morning, lecturers converged on campus to register their displeasure over the appointment of what they described as a 'foreigner' for the Vice Chancellor position.

Also read: https://myjoyonline.com/kstu-tutag-resists-attempts-to-impose-foreign-vice-chancellor/

Clad in red and black apparels, the senior academic members of the university wielded placards with inscriptions, ‘#VC_INTERNALMOVEMENT’ while palm trees at the school’s administration block were adorned in red cloth.

External individuals with competent backgrounds are often conventionally nominated for heads of technical universities when members of the university community lack qualified persons to hold the office.

However, Chairman of the local TUTAG, Dr Bismark Parker, argues the school has equally qualified candidates for the position.

“The request that was made to the council was that there is capacity internally. Universities as institutions of higher learning should be able to put their best at the helm of affairs. When you have the best resources inwardly, it’s best to put those to lead,” he said.

He says the association and the entire university community are in expectation of positive results from the Council.

“We are hopeful that our plea was heard by the Council during their meeting yesterday [Monday]. We believe the governing body would appoint someone who would ensure the growth of the institution and the country largely,” Dr Parker added.

A name that has strongly come up for consideration for the Vice-Chancellorship position is Professor Gabriel Dwomoh, who is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university.

Prior to his appointment, the Professor of Management served as the Director of International Affairs and Institutional Linkages of the university.

The picketing was a concerted effort by five associations at the university including the Students’ Representative Council and non-teaching staff of the school.

When JoyNews visited the school, the palm trees decorated in red cloth on previous days had been changed to white, signaling a positive outcome.

Sources at the university indicated that the Governing Council is likely to appoint an internal VC.

The governing body of the university has started processes to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor as the tenure of the current officeholder ends in September.

Presently, Professor Osei-Wusu Achaw, a Chemical Engineer, is the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

He was appointed to office in 2019 together with three other officials as the Governing Council of the university.

The Statutes of the University stipulate that the Vice Chancellor has an individual renewable tenure of four years while the Pro-Vice Chancellor has three years.

Established as a Kumasi Technical Institute in 1954, the KsTU is one of Ghana’s foremost technical universities, presently holding the status as the best technical university in the country.