The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has called on President John Mahama to remove the director-general and deputy director-general of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), accusing the commission’s leadership of “regulatory overreach” that threatens university autonomy and academic freedom.
At a press conference in Accra, UTAG said it submitted a petition to the presidency on February 17, 2026, raising concerns over a “persistent pattern of regulatory overreach, unilateral directives, and a coercive administrative posture” by GTEC’s current leadership. Nearly two months later, the association says it has received no acknowledgement.
“We have therefore convened this press conference to make public our demands and also for the President to be apprised of the same, just in case it has not been brought to his attention,” the statement read.
UTAG’s Core Case: “Command-and-Control” Regulation
UTAG stressed it is not against regulation but objects to what it calls GTEC’s substitution of its judgement for that of university councils and academic boards. Internationally, UTAG noted, regulators are expected to set minimum standards, not micromanage institutions, and to operate through consultation, not fiat.
The Association listed five patterns of alleged overreach:
1. Systematic interference in internal university governance, including usurping powers of governing councils and academic boards.
2. Imposition of prior-approval requirements for appointments, post-retirement engagements, and internal administrative positions.
3. Overriding legitimate council decisions taken under university statutes and Acts of Parliament.
4. Excessive discretionary powers, including threats to withdraw accreditation and subvention as “coercive regulatory tools”.
5. Abrupt scrapping of established office-holding portfolios across campuses without consultation.
Disputed Directives on Retirement, Staff Welfare
UTAG rejected GTEC circulars from September and October 2025 on post-retirement contracts and salary procedures, saying they contradict negotiated Conditions of Service; transfer approval authority from Councils to GTEC; introduce retroactive uncertainty; and create bottlenecks that disrupt teaching and research.
The Association also cited “unilateral variation and selective implementation” of Conditions of Service, affecting research fellows, librarians, and salary clearances, warning of “avoidable industrial instability”.
Reputational Risk: UCC Case Cited
UTAG pointed to reputational damage from GTEC’s actions, citing September 2025, when GTEC allegedly withdrew key services to the University of Cape Coast, including accreditation processes, before restoring them after compliance. “Episodes of this nature create uncertainty for students, staff, international partners, and funders and risk undermining confidence in Ghana’s higher-education brand,” UTAG said.
6 Demands, 14-Day Ultimatum
After what it called “exhaustion of engagement”, UTAG is demanding the following:
1. Removal of GTEC’s Director-General and Deputy Director-General to “restore confidence” and reset regulatory posture.
2. Urgent operationalisation of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) through a clear legislative instrument with mandatory consultative rule-making.
3. Withdrawal of GTEC’s Sept 30 and Oct 1, 2025, directives for stakeholder consultation.
4. Protection of existing post-retirement contracts entered into before the directives.
5. Inclusion of UTAG in finalising the L.I. for Act 1023 and any amendments.
6. Status quo on academic-year rollover for regular teaching and non-teaching staff pending lawful processes.
UTAG warned that if its demands are not addressed within 14 days, it will “advise itself accordingly” after consulting its members.
“We remain committed to constructive engagement, dialogue, and genuine reform in the public interest,” the statement, signed by the National President, concluded.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
