Minority poised to fight gov’t ‘interference’ with Public Universities

The Education Ministry is counting its foes after a draft bill to revolutionise the management of public universities hit the media.

The latest to join opponents to the bill – which seeks to seize majority on the universities’ Council from the schools and cede same to the government – is the Minority’s spokesperson on Education.

Also, the bill aims to centralise admissions to all public universities.

Speaking to Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said the Minority in Parliament will oppose the bill should it come to the House in its current form.

His advice to the government is that they should change the provisions of the bill “or abandon it altogether.”

Nortsu believes the government “is just trying to control the universities which is not good.”

“That is what would happen if we don’t stop that bill,” he added.

He said what players in the education sector want is for the universities to be autonomous, adding that every university is unique so the government should not seek to “put them in one basket.”

Other reaction

Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana and Head of European Studies, Prof Ransford Gyampo in a series of social media posts attacked the draft bill, describing it as an affront to academic freedom.

Prof. Gyampo is a vociferous critic on national issues

In one post, the lecturer said: “…we would resist [the] attempt to touch our academic freedom with our blood.”

In a reply to critics of the draft bill, however, PRO of the Education Ministry, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the draft has been sent to the universities for their input so they can express their reservations via that platform.

He added that the Ministry is not even obliged to send the draft to them before sending it to parliament.

But in response, the Prof said “the draft bill sounds like asking me to make input into your proposal to rape my wife. Who does that? It can’t be up for input.”

A law professor, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua who spoke on Joy FM’s also expressed reservations on the draft bill.

He said should the government have majority on University Councils they would indirectly influence appointments, financial commitments and the universities’ relation with other external bodies as Council is ceased with the power do these.

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