Security has been beefed up at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) ahead of a crucial Council meeting to elect a new Vice-Chancellor. The move comes after the Tertiary Education Workers Union (TEWU) of Ghana threatened to disrupt the proceedings, citing concerns over the inclusion of a rival union representative.
TEWU-Ghana claims it has been sidelined by university management, who they accuse of attempting to allow a representative from the rival TEWU-TUC to participate in the Council meeting. The union has vowed to take action if their demands are not met.
“We will not sit idle and watch our rights being trampled upon,” a union representative said. “We will take all necessary steps to ensure that our interests are protected.”
The Council meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 20, 2024, follows a previous failed attempt to endorse Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson for a second term as Vice-Chancellor. The election has been marred by controversy, with TEWU-Ghana and TEWU-TUC engaged in a long-standing dispute over representation on the University Council.
According to Section 7 (h) of the KNUST statutes, the University Council must include a representative from the teachers and education workers union. However, since 2019, the union has had no representation on the Council.
The situation has been further complicated by a lawsuit filed at a Kumasi High Court, which has led to the suspension of both unions’ membership on the Council.
