Accra, May 31, GNA - The Council of the University of Ghana
has varied its decision asking the Vice-Chancellor Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere to
proceed on his terminal leave on June 1 2005 or get sacked. A statement Mr
F. K. Yeboah, Acting Secretary of the Council, signed and made available to the
Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, said; to ensure that the disciplinary process and
its final outcome are transparent and fair to all concerned, Council by consensus,
decided to vary some of its earlier decisions".
This is directly opposite to
what a section of the media reported that all the 13 members of the Council had not
shown any inclination to change the earlier decision.
The Vice-Chancellor is
now asked "to step aside with effect from June 8 2005 until the committees set up
to deal with disciplinary issues raised by the Mfodwo Committee submit their reports
and Council ratifies their recommendations for appropriate action.
"Council is
to ensure that every effort is made to facilitate the work of the disciplinary
committees so that they can conclude their assignment in the shortest possible
time.
"As provided for in The Statutes, in the absence of the Vice-Chancellor,
the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor C. N. B. Tagoe, shall act as
Vice-chancellor", the statement said.
The statement said the University
Council met on Thursday 26 May under the chairmanship of the Chancellor
Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II to conclude its deliberations on the Vice-Chancellors
petitions against the Council's decision taken at its meeting held on May 5
2005.
The statement said the Vice-Chancellor accepted full responsibility
for the various weaknesses and lapses identified by the Mfodwo Committee as
factors that facilitated the malpractices associated with the 2004 - 2005
First Semester Examinations.
The statement said: "Council gave due
consideration to various positive developments recorded by the University
under the Vice-Chancellor's leadership. Council also expressed satisfaction
with actions being taken by the Vice-Chancellor and the Academic Board to
address the systemic weaknesses identified in both the Mfodwo and Konu
Committees' Reports."
In another development Prof Asenso-Okyere in a statement on Tuesday
said he would leave for the United Kingdom and Germany on official
business on June 3.
He said he would be away from June 3 to June 9,
2005. He said he would be stepping aside with effect from June 8, 2005
until the committees set up to deal with disciplinary issues raised by
the Mfodwo Committee submitted their reports and the University Council
ratified their recommendations for appropriate action.
The
Vice-Chancellor announced the following administrative arrangements: "Professor C. N. B. Tagoe, the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor, would act as Vice-Chancellor; Professor Anna Reynolds Barnes, Acting Provost of College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, would act as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, until further notice." He appealed to the University community to cooperate with the officers in the discharge of their duties.
