The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has finally had it’s governing council inaugurated.
The 17-member council is chaired by a former academic of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Obeng Mireku.
The University has been without a governing council for the past two months as the tenure of Prof. Emmanuel Abakah-led council ended on the 17th of June making it difficult for the University to hold its graduation ceremony on the 20th of June.
Inaugurating the council, the Education Ministry, Matthew Opoku Prempeh urged the newly inaugurated council to use its experience to address lingering challenges at the University including the raging impasse between dismissed staff of the institution lead by Prof. Mawutor Avoke and the current administation led by Prof. Father Anthony Afful Broni.
He said, “as the body in charge of running the university, I charge you to deal with a number of outstanding grievances of certain individuals in the university to ensure harmony on the labour front”.
He indicated that a speedy resolution of the matter will help in creating a better environment for teaching and learning to take place.
He also urged the new Council to put in place the best strategies to deepen enrolment at the University especially as the the maiden products of government’s Free Senior High School Education (Free SHS) programme will be seeking admission to the University come 2020.
The Winneba and Ajumako campuses of the UEW were closed down indefinitely on March 14, 2019 by the Central Regional Security Council when a demonstration by students turned violent.
There was an ensuing chaos at the UEW campus owing to what was described as a leadership crisis with calls for the resignation of the Vice Chancellor of the school.
The situation led to series of protests by students, including a violent one that resulted in the destruction of several school properties, forcing the police to fire tear gas to disperse the angry student protesters who were at the time pelting stones at the security officers.
By: Bridget Mensah